Congee
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 Leave, formal permission for some action, (originally and particularly) countable, uncountable
- 2 A type of thick rice porridge or soup, sometimes prepared with vegetables and/or meat. uncountable, usually
"In a past life in Fuzhou, it represented some reality other than the one of daily congee and pickled turnips, cabbage and boiled rip soup."
- 3 an abrupt and unceremonious dismissal wordnet
- 4 Leave, formal permission for some action, (originally and particularly):; Formal permission to leave; a passport. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 5 formal permission to depart wordnet
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- 6 Formal dismissal; (figurative) any dismissal; (originally & particularly humorously ironic) abrupt dismissal without ceremony. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"So courteous conge both did giue and take, With right hands plighted, pledges of good will."
- 7 (architecture) a concave molding wordnet
- 8 Formal leavetaking; (figurative) any farewell. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 9 a Chinese rice gruel eaten for breakfast wordnet
- 10 A fee paid to make another go away, (particularly) alms to a persistent beggar. Scotland, countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 11 A bow, curtsey, or other gesture (originally) made at departure but (later) including at greeting or in obeissance or respect. archaic, countable, uncountable
"As salutations, reverences, or conges, by which some doe often purchase the honour, (but wrongfully) to be humble, lowly, and courteous[…]."
- 1 To give congee, (particularly); To give formal permission to leave; to dismiss. archaic, obsolete, transitive
- 2 perform a ceremonious bow wordnet
- 3 To give congee, (particularly); To give formal permission to do something; to license. archaic, obsolete, transitive
- 4 depart after obtaining formal permission wordnet
- 5 To take congee: to leave ceremoniously. archaic
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- 6 To make a congee: to bow, curtsey, etc., (particularly dialectal) while leaving; (figuratively) to make obeissance, show respect, or defer to someone or something. archaic
Example
More examples"In Hong Kong there are two types of liquid food which are considered absolutely vital: Cantonese soup and congee. It is curious to note that however "thick and ingredient-filled" the soup is, it's always drunk and however "thin" the congee is, it's always eaten."
Etymology
From late Middle English congie, from Old French congié, congiet (modern French congé), from Latin commeātus (“passage, permission to leave”), from commeō (“I go and come”), from con- + meō (“I go, I pass”). Figurative senses generally borrowed from developments in French congé.
From Tamil கஞ்சி (kañci) or another Dravidian language such as Malayalam കഞ്ഞി (kaññi) (ultimately from Proto-Dravidian *kañci), possibly via Portuguese canje.
Related phrases
More for "congee"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.