cess

1. (British, Ireland, India) An assessed tax, duty, or levy; billeting.Examples: "EUDOX[US] But what is that which you call Cess? it is a Word sure unused amongst us here; therefore (I pray you) expound the same. IREN[EUS] Cess is none other than that which you yourself called Imposition, but is in a kind unacquainted perhaps unto you; for there are Cesses of sundry sorts: one is the Cessing of Soldiers upon the Countrey; [...] Another kind of Cess is, the imposing of Provisions for the Governours Housekeeping, [...]"; "The act provides for a levy of a cess on all coal and coke despatched from collieries in India, at such rate, not less than twenty-five paise and not more than fifty paise per ton, as may be fixed by the Central Government."; "Therefore it was proposed to levy a cess on local authorities which are entrusted with the duty of supplying water under the law by or under which they are constituted and on certain specified industries."BritishIndiaIreland

2. (British, Ireland, informal) Usually preceded by good or (more commonly) bad: luck or success.Examples: ""Bad cess may attend you, where are you scampering to, you rambunctious"—but she could go no farther; the tears burst from her, and she gave way, without farther resistance, to an explosion of grief."; "Midland has had good cess with using minute commercials eight television stations, cited as one example of modernizing its advertising."; "It is good cess to feel the warmth and sincerity of this couple who fill the role of the Queen's representative in Canada."BritishIrelandinformal

3. (obsolete) Bound; measure.Examples: "The poor jade is wrung in the withers out of all cess."obsolete