From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Ness \Ness\, n. [AS. naes, ns; akin to Icel. nes, Sw. n[aum]s,
Dan. naes, and E. nose. [root] 261. See Nose.]
A promontory; a cape; a headland. --Hakluyt.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Ness is frequently used as a suffix in the names of
places and promontories; as, Sheerness.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
-ness \-ness\ [AS. -ness, -nyss, -nys; akin to OS. -nissi,
nussi, D. -nis, OHG. -nissa, -nass[imac], -nuss[imac], G.
-nis, -niss, Goth. -inasus.]
A suffix used to form abstract nouns expressive of quality or
state; as, goodness, greatness.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
ness
n 1: a strip of land projecting into a body of water [syn:
cape, ness]