Ce*dil"la (?), n. [Sp. cedilla, cf. F. c'edille; dim. of zeta, the Gr. name of the letter z, because this letter was formerly written after the c, to give it the sound of s.]
A mark placed under the letter c [thus, ss], to show that it is to be sounded like s, as in fassade.
© Webster 1913.