The term cess (a shortened form of assess; the spelling is due to a mistaken connection with census) generally means a tax. It is a term formerly more particularly applied to local taxation, in which sense it is still the official term used in Ireland; otherwise, it has been superseded by "rate." In India it is applied, with the qualifying word prefix, to any taxation, such as irrigation-cess, educational-cess, and the like. In Scotland, it refers to the land value tax.

Hip hop usage

In North America, it is also used as a slang term for cannabis, especially of inferior quality.^{[citation needed]} Credit DJ Rob Base in the song "It Takes Two." Credit 'Del The Funky Homosapien' for his song "Phoney Phranchise." Released on 'Both Sides of the Brain' by Del, and on 'Over Time' by Hieroglyphics - "...and if I stopped "cess," I probably would cough less." Also used in YouTube sensation's "Unforgiveable." "I left a bag of cess in her mailbox, get her in trouble."

It also means luck. Sample usage: "He shouldered the baggage, wished good cess to the wise jackass, and..." (Dominic, p. 50, by William Steig, 1984).

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Cess". Image Credit.

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