The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

cede \cede\ (s[=e]d), v. t. [imp. & p. p. ceded; p. pr. & vb.
   n. ceding.] [L. cedere to withdraw, yield; akin to cadere
   to fall, and to E. chance; cf. F. c['e]der.]
   To yield or surrender; to give up; to resign; as, to cede a
   fortress, a province, or country, to another nation, by
   treaty.
   [1913 Webster]

         The people must cede to the government some of their
         natural rights.                          --Jay.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

cede
    v 1: give over; surrender or relinquish to the physical control
         of another [syn: concede, yield, cede, grant]
    2: relinquish possession or control over; "The squatters had to
       surrender the building after the police moved in" [syn:
       surrender, cede, deliver, give up]