All 3 Uses of
recede
in
The Poisonwood Bible
- And to the east of us, behind the river, a rising rumple of dark green hills folded on each other like a great old tablecloth, receding to pale hazy blue.†
Chpt 1 *receding = moving away or diminishing (become less)
- His dark half-dome forehead and gravely receding hairline emphasized a broad face, broad chest and shoulders, and enormously muscular arms.†
Chpt 3
- I could tell the river was receding from its rainy-season flood by its peculiar rank smell and all the driftwood stranded along its banks.†
Chpt 5
Definition:
to move away or diminish (become less)
The exact meaning of recede depends upon its context. For example:
- "We can't move back in until the floodwaters recede." -- diminish and move away
- "Her fear receded." -- diminished
- "The waves first advance and then recede." -- move away
- "The news story receded into the background as it was replaced by new stories." -- received diminished attention
- "a receding hairline" -- diminished hair (each year the line where hair stops growing is higher on the forehead)
- "She has a receding chin." -- sloping back (as contrasted to sticking out)