congee

/ˈkɑnd͡ʒi/

Etymology

From late Middle English congie, from Old French congié, congiet (modern French congé), from Latin commeātus (“passage, permission to leave”), from commeō (“to go and come”), from con- + meō (“to go, to pass”). Figurative senses generally borrowed from developments in French congé.

Why this word is great

CONGEE — [Noun] Formal permission to leave or dismiss, often with a sense of ceremony or official sanction. From late Middle English congie, from Old French congié, congiet (modern French congé), from Latin commeātus (“passage, permission to leave”), from commeō (“to go and come”), from con- + meō (“to go, to pass”). Unlike 'permission' (a flat, bureaucratic grant) or 'dismissal' (a blunt severance), 'congee' is a ritual of leave-taking, a formal bow to the inevitable. It is the general releasing his troops with a signed decree, the ambassador granted safe passage across borders, or the servant dismissed with a coin and a nod—each moment freighted with the unspoken understanding that all partings are, in the end, rehearsals for the last.

noun

Leave, formal permission for some action, (originally and particularly)
Leave, formal permission for some action, (originally and particularly):; Formal permission to leave; a passport.
Formal dismissal; (figurative) any dismissal; (originally & particularly humorously ironic) abrupt dismissal without ceremony.“So courteous conge both did giue and take, With right hands plighted, pledges of good will.”
Formal leavetaking; (figurative) any farewell.
A fee paid to make another go away, (particularly) alms to a persistent beggar.
A bow, curtsey, or other gesture (originally) made at departure but (later) including at greeting or in obeissance or respect.“As salutations, reverences, or conges, by which some doe often purchase the honour, (but wrongfully) to be humble, lowly, and courteous[…].”

verb

To give congee, (particularly); To give formal permission to leave; to dismiss.
To give congee, (particularly); To give formal permission to do something; to license.
To take congee: to leave ceremoniously.
To make a congee: to bow, curtsey, etc., (particularly dialectal) while leaving; (figuratively) to make obeissance, show respect, or defer to someone or something.