descended

[dih-sen-did]

adjective

1. having a specified ancestry or ethnic origin.

   She was the only daughter of a wealthy baron and his royally descended wife.

2. having gone from a higher place or position to a lower one.

   The cooled and descended air then travels along the earth’s surface toward the equator to replace air rising from the equatorial zone.

   He was hailed as some descended godhead on earth—an avatar.

3. inherited or transmitted, as through succeeding generations of a family.

   Early mammals generally possessed claws, and all existing cat species carry that descended trait.

4. derived from something in the remote past, especially through continuous transmission.

   Traditional religions tend to focus on descended practice and ritual rather than on doctrine taught by a religious institution.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of descend.

Other Word Forms

• undescended adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of descended¹

First recorded in 1560–70; descend ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; descend ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Local clubs had not been geared up for the sudden rush of Jonny Wilkinson wannabes that descended on them after his drop-kick landed World Cup glory.

From BBC

The launch of Oasis's highly-anticipated reunion tour last year descended into chaos, as fans found themselves paying hundreds of pounds more than they expected.

From BBC

Her mood feels a bit lighter, she can lift heavier weights and the fog that had descended on her brain has started to lift.

From BBC

A South Korean worker who witnessed the raid told the BBC of panic and confusion as federal agents descended on the site, with some people being led away in chains.

From BBC

Local and federal law enforcement descended on typically quiet blocks in Washington and nearby St George, banging on doors and closing off streets as they carried out a high stakes investigation.

From BBC

Related Words

• cascade 
• collapse 
• crash 
• dip 
• disembark 
• dive 
• go down 
• penetrate 
• plummet 
• plunge 
• settle 
• sink 
• slide 
• slip 
• stumble 
• subside 
• swoop 
• trickle 
• tumble