What does sess mean?
A sess is a period of time spent doing a particular activity. The word is chiefly associated with South African English, where it is an informal alternative to session and can describe anything from a fishing trip or a period at the beach to a stretch of studying or practising music. Its meaning is broad, but it normally implies a recognizable block of time spent together or on a single pursuit. In a sentence such as “We had a long sess fishing,” the word sounds relaxed and conversational rather than formal. Although less common than session in general English, sess is especially useful when describing an informal or social period of activity. Its vocabulary ancestry is noteworthy: it comes through Latin from the language of sitting, reflecting the original sense of time occupied in one place.
nounIn South African English, a period of time spent doing a particular activity; a session.
- A period of time devoted to a particular activity, especially in South African English.
"We spent a lazy afternoon sess fishing by the lake."
"We had a long sess at the beach, fishing and talking."
"Her music sess improved after she began practising regularly."
The plural is used when referring to separate periods spent on an activity.
"They organized several fishing sesses for the summer."
Its Latin ancestor literally meant “a sitting,” so a sess was originally simply time spent sitting occupied with something.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of sess
The word derives from the Latin noun sessio, meaning “a sitting” or “session,” which comes from sedere, “to sit.” It entered English in the nineteenth century and is now chiefly used in South African English. Its relatives include session and sessional, while more distant cognates include assess, possess, and transgress, all of which preserve forms of the same Latin root associated with sitting or being seated.
How sess is actually used
Chiefly used in South African English. It is informal and often implies a recognisable period spent on one activity rather than a formal session.