CESSION, n. [L. cessio; Fr. cession; from L. cedo, cessum. See Cede.]
1.    The act of giving way; a yielding force or impulse. Bacon.
2.    A yielding or surrender, as of property or rights, to another person; particularly, a surrender of conquered territory to its former proprietor or sovereign, by treaty.
3.    In the civil law, a voluntary surrender of a person’s effects to his creditors, to avoid imprisonment. Encyc.
4.    In ecclesiatical law, leaving of a benefice without dispensation, or otherwise qualified. When an ecclesiastical person is created a bishop, or when the parson of a parish takes another benefice, without dispensation, the benefices are void by cession, without resignation. Encyc.
American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster 1828, Vol. I, page 34.

cession (sesh’on). A surrender; a giving up.
Law Dictionary, James A. Ballentine, Second Edition, 1948, page 203.

CESSION. The act of ceding; a yielding or giving up; surrender; relinquishment of property or rights.

    An assignment. The act by which a party transfers property to another. To surrender or assignment of property for the benefit of one’s creditors. See Cessio Bonorum.

    A giving up or vacating a benefice, by accepting another without a proper dispensation. 1 Bl. Comm. 392; Latch. 234; Cowell.

    The assignment, transfer, or yielding up of territory by one state of government to another. Municipality of Ponce v. Church, 210 U.S. 310, 28 S.Ct. 737, 52 L.Ed. 1068.

Black’s Law Dictionary 4^th Edition (1951), page 289.

cession (sesh’on) n. [[OFr < L. cessio < cessus. pp. of cessare, to yield; see CEDE]] a ceding or giving up (of rights, property, territory, etc.) to another.
Webster’s New World Dictionary, 3^rd College Ed. (1988), page 230.