cease

I. cease¹ W3 AC /siːs/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
[Word Family: noun: ↑cessation, ↑cease; verb: ↑cease; adverb: ↑ceaselessly; adjective: ↑ceaseless]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: cesser, from Latin cessare 'to delay', from cedere; ⇨ ↑cede]
1. formal to stop doing something or stop happening
cease to do something
He ceased to be a member of the association.
The things people will do for charity never cease to amaze me (=I am always surprised by them).
cease doing something
the decision to cease using CFCs in packaging
The rain ceased and the sky cleared.
cease trading/production/operations etc (=stop operating a business)
The company ceased production at their Norwich plant last year.
cease fire! (=used to order soldiers to stop shooting)
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In everyday English, people usually use stop rather than cease:
▪ They have stopped using CFCs in packaging.
▪ The rain stopped just as the fireworks began.
2. cease and desist law to stop doing something
⇨ ↑ceasefire, ⇨ wonders will never cease at ↑wonder²(5)

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

cease / siːs / verb [ I or T ] formal

B2 to stop something:

Whether the protests will cease remains to be seen.

The company has decided to cease all UK operations after this year.

[ + to infinitive ] Workplace nurseries will cease to be liable for tax.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

cease

[si͟ːs]
♦♦♦
ceases, ceasing, ceased
1) VERB If something ceases, it stops happening or existing. [FORMAL]
  At one o'clock the rain had ceased.
  Syn:
  stop
2) VERB If you cease to do something, you stop doing it. [FORMAL]
  [V to-inf] He never ceases to amaze me...
  [V to-inf] The secrecy about the President's condition had ceased to matter...
  [V -ing] A small number of firms have ceased trading.
3) VERB If you cease something, you stop it happening or working. [FORMAL]
  [V n] The Tundra Times, a weekly newspaper in Alaska, ceased publication this week.
  Syn:
  stop

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

cease

cease /ˈsiːs/ verb ceas·es; ceased; ceas·ing formal
1 [no obj] : to stop happening : to end
• The fighting along the border has temporarily ceased.
• The conversation abruptly ceased. [=halted]
• The noise ceased [=stopped] altogether.
• when the weary cease from their labors [=when people who are very tired stop working]
• The company was ordered by the court to cease and desist from selling the photographs. [=was ordered to immediately stop selling the photographs]
- see also cease and desist order
2 [+ obj] : to stop doing (something)
• The factory ceased operations last year.
• The child would not cease his constant whining/complaining.
• The soldiers were ordered to cease fire. [=to stop shooting their weapons]
- often followed by to + verb
• The program would cease to exist without private funding.
• He had long ceased to have any regrets.
• Her courage never ceases to amaze me. [=I am always amazed by her courage]
- see also cease-fire
wonders never cease
- see ¹wonder