1620s, of a ship, "deviate from a line or course," a nautical word of obscure origin, perhaps from Dutch scheren "to move aside, withdraw, depart," originally "to separate" (see shear (v.)). In the general sense of "change one's course" by 1704. Related: Sheered; sheering. As a noun from 1660s.
"death," early 14c., from Old French deces (12c., Modern French décès) "decease, death," from Latin decessus "death" (euphemism for mors), also "a retirement, a departure," from decess-, past participle stem of decedere "die, depart, withdraw," literally "to go down," from de "away" (see de-) + cedere "to go" (from PIE root *ked- "to go, yield"). Still used with a tinge of euphemism.
early 15c., detracten, "disparage, defame, slander," from Latin detractus, past participle of detrahere "to take down, pull down, disparage," from de "down" (see de-) + trahere "to pull" (see tract (n.1)). Literal sense of "take away, withdraw" (c. 1500) is rare in English. Related: Detracted; detracting.
late 14c., repēlen, "revoke, rescind, annul; withdraw (a privilege, etc.); repudiate (one's behavior)," from Anglo-French repeler (mid-14c.), Old French rapeler "call back, call in, call after, revoke" (Modern French rappeler), from re- "back" (see re-) + apeler "to call" (later appeler; see appeal (v.)). Related: Repealed; repealing; repealable.
"come to or arrive at" (a state, position, office, etc.), early 15c., from Latin accedere "approach, go to, come near, enter upon," from assimilated form of ad "to" (see ad-) + cedere "go, move, withdraw" (from PIE root *ked- "to go, yield"). Latin ad- usually became ac- before "k" sounds. Related: Acceded; acceding.
1860, first in a U.S. context, "one who takes part in or justifies the attempt by the Southern states to withdraw from the union," from secession + -ist. Colloquial short form secesh, noun and adjective, is attested from 1861. The earlier noun had been seceder (1755), but this had religious overtones, especially (with capital s-) in reference to Scottish Church history (see secede). Related: Secessionism.
"to unsay, to contradict or withdraw a declaration or proposition," 1530s, from Latin recantare "recall, revoke," from re- "back" (see re-) + cantare, literally "to chant, to sing" (from PIE root *kan- "to sing"). The English word is from the Reformation; the Latin verb is a loan-translation of Greek palinoidein "recant," from palin "back" + oeidein "to sing." Related: Recanted; recanting. It was used occasionally 17c. in an etymological sense of "sing over again" (with re- = "again").
late 14c., excepten, "to receive," from Old French excepter (12c.), from Latin exceptus, past participle of excipere "to take out, withdraw; make an exception, reserve," from ex "out" (see ex-) + capere "to take," from PIE root *kap- "to grasp." Meaning "to leave out" is from 1510s. Related: Excepted; excepting. Adjectival function led to use as a preposition, conjunction (late 14c.).
mid-15c., from Old French *incessant or directly from Late Latin incessantem (nominative incessans) "unceasing," from Latin in- "not" (see in- (1)) + cessans, present participle of cessare "to cease, go slow, give over, leave off, be idle," frequentative of cedere (past participle cessus) "go away, withdraw, yield" (from PIE root *ked- "to go, yield"). Related: Incessantly (early 15c.).
