to go or pass from a higher to a lower place; move or come down: to descend from the mountaintop.
to pass from higher to lower in any scale or series.
to go from generals to particulars, as in a discussion.
to slope, tend, or lead downward: The path descends to the pond.
to be inherited or transmitted, as through succeeding generations of a family: The title descends through eldest sons.
to have a specific person or family among one's ancestors (usually followed by from): He is descended from Cromwell.
to be derived from something remote in time, especially through continuous transmission: This festival descends from a druidic rite.
to approach or pounce upon, especially in a greedy or hasty manner (followed by on or upon): Thrill-seekers descended upon the scene of the crime.
to settle, as a cloud or vapor.
to appear or become manifest, as a supernatural being, state of mind, etc.: Jupiter descended to humankind.
to attack, especially with violence and suddenness (usually followed by on or upon): to descend upon enemy soldiers.
to sink or come down from a certain intellectual, moral, or social standard: He would never descend to baseness.
Astronomy. to move toward the horizon, as the sun or a star.
verb (used with object)
to move downward upon or along; go or climb down (stairs, a hill, etc.).
to extend or lead down along: The path descends the hill.
Origin of descend
1250–1300;Middle Englishdescenden < Old Frenchdescendre < Latindēscendere, equivalent to dē-de- + -scendere, combining form of scandere to climb; cf. scansion
Related formsde·scend·ing·ly, adverbpre·de·scend, verbre·de·scend, verbun·de·scend·ed, adjectiveun·de·scend·ing, adjective
c.1300, from Old French descendre (10c.) "descend, dismount; fall into; originate in," from Latin descendere "come down, descend, sink," from de- "down" (see de-) + scandere "to climb," from PIE root *skand- "jump" (see scan (v.)). Sense of "originate" is late 14c. in English. Related: Descended; descending.
