Cede, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ceded; p. pr. & vb. n. Ceding.]
Etymology: [L. cedere to withdraw, yield; akin to cadere to fall, and to E. chance; cf. F. céder.]
To yield or surrender; to give up; to resign; as, to cede a fortress, a province, or country, to another nation, by treaty. The people must cede to the government some of their natural rights. Jay.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for cede; he lists it under abandon, give, surrender.
Where he writes about it:
Abandon is a word of wide signification, applying to persons or things of any kind; abdicate and resign apply to office, authority, or power; cede to territorial possessions; surrender especially to military force, and more generally to any demand, claim, passion, etc. — from abandon
Synonyms
abandongivesurrenderabdicateabjurealienatebestowcapitulatecast offceasecommunicateconferdeliverdepart fromdesertdiscontinueforegoforsakeforswearfurnishgive oneself upgive overgive upgrantimpartleavelet goquitrecantrelinquishrenouncerepudiateresignretire fromretractsacrificesupplyvacatewithdraw fromyield