RECEDE

I. intransitive verb (~d; receding) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin ~re to go back, from re- + cedere to go Date: 15th century 1. to move back or away ; withdraw , to slant backward, to grow less or smaller ; diminish , decrease , Synonyms: see: ~ II. transitive verb Etymology: re- + cede Date: 1771 to cede back to a former possessor