sed-, sedat-, -sid, -sess

(Latin: sit, sitting)

repossession (ree" puh ZESH uhn) (s) (noun), repossessions (pl)
A creditor's taking of property that has been pledged as collateral for a loan: Since Jim could not continue his payments on the debt of his house, the bank made a repossession of the property and so he had to move away.
reside (verb), resides; resided; residing
1. To live in a place permanently or for an extended period.
2. To be inherently present; to exist: There is a potential energy that resides when water is flowing.
3. To be vested, as a power or right: The government recognizes the authority that resides in the Supreme Court."
4. Etymology: from Old French resider, "to settle; from Latin residere, "to remain behind, to rest"; from re-, "back, again" + sedere, "to sit".
residence (s) (noun), residences (pl)
1. The place; especially, the house, in which a person lives or resides; a dwelling place; a home.
2. A structure serving as a dwelling or home; especially, one of large proportion and superior quality: Ted and Irene have a summer residence in on the California beach.
3. The act or fact of residing.
4. The act of living or staying in a specified place while performing official duties, carrying on studies or research, waiting for a divorce, etc.
5. The time during which a person lives in a place: Margaret was a residence in the neighborhood for five years.
6. The location of the main offices or principal center of business activity of a commercial enterprise; especially, a large corporation; which is registered under law.
residency (s) (noun)m residencies (pl)
1. A period of specialized training in clinical medicine or surgery in a hospital on completion of an internship.
2. Usually a place where people live and have their home.
resident (s) (noun), residents (pl)
1. A person who lives or dwells in a place.
2. A physician who joins the medical staff of a hospital as a salaried employee for a specified period to gain advanced training; usually, in a particular field, being in full-time attendance at the hospital and often living on the premises.
3. A diplomatic representative, inferior in rank to an ambassador, living in a foreign embassy.
4. Something which is encoded and permanently available to a computer user, as a font in a printer's ROM or software on a CD-ROM.
5. A computer program that is currently active or being available in a computer memory.
residential (adjective), more residential, most residential
1. Relating to or consisting of private housing rather than offices or factories.
2. Referring to a place where a person lives for a long time.
3. Pertaining to working, studying, or staying in a place for mental or any medical care: Joan has been receiving treatment at the residential rehabilitating center while her hip operation is healing.
residual (adjective) (usually not comparable)
Descriptive of something that is remaining after a process has been completed, gone, or removed.
residual (s) (noun), residuals (pl)
1. The quantity of something that is left over at the end of a process; a remainder.
2. A payment made to performers, writers, or directors for each repeat showing of a recorded television show or commercial.
3. Remaining after the majority of something has been removed; for example, residual dampness.
4. In geology, the material that is left after the weathering of a rock has removed its soluble constituents.
residuary (adjective), more residuary, most residuary
1. A reference to what is left of an estate after payment of debts and specific gifts have been completed: After his aunt's death, Henry was entitled to the residuary part of the property that she had willed to him.
2. Relating to or indicating a remainder: There was a residual amount of work that had to be completed before the contractor could say that the house was ready for the new tenants.
residue (s) (noun), residues (pl)
1. The remainder of something after removal of some parts or a piece: When George finished grilling the meat, the grill was covered with a greasy residue.
2. In law, the remainder of a testator's estate after all claims, debts, and bequests are satisfied: Grace left the residue of her estate to her daughter after having all the financial obligations taken care of. 
3. Etymology: from Old French residu, from Latin residuum, "a remainder", from residuus, "remaining, left over", from residere, "to remain behind"; from re-, "back, again" + sedere, "to sit".
Whatever remains after something is taken, separated, or designated.
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seance, séance (SAY ahns) (s) (noun); seances, séances (pl)
1. A meeting at which a spiritualist attempts to receive communications from the spirits of the dead: Bryan's neighbor was known to be a person who could get in touch with those who have died and relate messages to their living relatives. Seances, or gatherings in order to get in touch with relatives who passed away, were sometimes held at Bryan's neighbor's house.
2. A session, meeting, or sitting, as of a learned or legislative body: The last seance of the state legislature left many members still dissatisfied with the results of the presentations and the voting that took place later.

Historical background

The origin of the term séance comes from French séance, “seat, session”, from Old French seoir, “to sit”.

In French, as in English, séance came to be used specifically for a meeting of people to receive spiritualistic messages (a sense first recorded in English in 1845), but earlier in French and English, the word was used more generally for meetings.

—Compiled from information located in
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,
4th Edition; Houghton Mifflin Company; Boston; 2006, page 1570.
A group that is receiving communications from spirits.
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A meeting, session, or sitting to receive messages from spirits.
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sedan (s) (noun), sedans (pl)
1. A closed automobile having two or four doors and a front and rear seat.
2. A portable enclosed chair for one person, having poles in the front and back and carried by two other people; a sedan chair.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, an enclosed chair carried by porters at the front and the back on two long poles passed through handles on the sides of the box.

3. Etymology: of uncertain origin; however, it has been suggested that the word was borrowed from a Southern Italian dialect and is a derivative of sede, "chair"; from Latin sedes which is related to sedere, "to sit".
—Compiled from The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology;
Robert K. Barnhart, Editor; The H.W. Wilson Company; New York; 1988; page 978.
sedate (adjective), more sedate, most sedate
1. Descriptive of the avoidance of excitement or great activity and to be calm and relaxed: Jack and Jill walked on the beach with a sedate pace as they enjoyed the surrounding area.
2. Peaceful and quiet: Jeremy and his family are living in a more sedate neighborhood now compared to the noisier one they were in before when they were the city.
3. Etymology: from Latin sedatus, "composed, moderate, quiet, tranquil"; "to settle, to be calm" from sedere "to sit".
Serious, sober, or grave; not for having fun.
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sedately (adverb), more sedately, most sedately
1. Calmly, without excessive emotion.
2. Characterized by being done with little energy.
sedative (s) (noun), sedatives (pl)
1. Medications that have tranquilizing or calming effects: The doctor gave Bret a sedative before beginning the surgery on the damaged vertebrae.
2. A medicine that allays irritability or excitement or lowers functional activities: Most sedatives, or tranquilizers, can promote sleep.

The overdosage of a sedative can lead to dangerous respiratory depression or slowed breathing.

Some sedatives can dangerously depress important signals needed to maintain heart and lung function if they are misused, or accidentally combined, as in the case of combining prescription sedatives with alcohol.

Many sedatives also have addictive potential; so for these reasons, sedatives should be used under medical supervision, and only when definitely needed.

3. Etymology: from Medieval Latin sedativus, "calming, allaying"; from sedat- and sedare, sedere, "to sit".
A medicine for relieving pain or an irritation.
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