cease
Pronunciation: (sēs), [key]
— v., n. ceased, ceas•ing,
—v.i.
- to stop; discontinue: Not all medieval beliefs have ceased to exist.
- to come to an end: At last the war has ceased.
- to pass away; die out.
—v.t.
- to put a stop or end to; discontinue: He begged them to cease their quarreling.
—n.
- cessation: The noise of the drilling went on for hours without cease.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.