Descend

Descend
Descend De*scend", v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Descended}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Descending}.] [F. descendre, L. descendere, descensum; de- + scandere to climb. See {Scan}.] 1. To pass from a higher to a lower place; to move downwards; to come or go down in any way, as by falling, flowing, walking, etc.; to plunge; to fall; to incline downward; -- the opposite of ascend. [1913 Webster]

The rain descended, and the floods came. --Matt. vii. 25. [1913 Webster]

We will here descend to matters of later date. --Fuller. [1913 Webster]

2. To enter mentally; to retire. [Poetic] [1913 Webster]

[He] with holiest meditations fed, Into himself descended. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

3. To make an attack, or incursion, as if from a vantage ground; to come suddenly and with violence; -- with on or upon. [1913 Webster]

And on the suitors let thy wrath descend. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

4. To come down to a lower, less fortunate, humbler, less virtuous, or worse, state or station; to lower or abase one's self; as, he descended from his high estate. [1913 Webster]

5. To pass from the more general or important to the particular or less important matters to be considered. [1913 Webster]

6. To come down, as from a source, original, or stock; to be derived; to proceed by generation or by transmission; to fall or pass by inheritance; as, the beggar may descend from a prince; a crown descends to the heir. [1913 Webster]

7. (Anat.) To move toward the south, or to the southward. [1913 Webster]

8. (Mus.) To fall in pitch; to pass from a higher to a lower tone. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • descend — ► VERB 1) move down or downwards. 2) slope or lead downwards. 3) (descend to) lower oneself to commit (a shameful act). 4) (descend on) make a sudden attack on or unwelcome visit to. 5) (be descended from) be a blood relative of (an a …   English terms dictionary

  • descend — c.1300, from O.Fr. descendre (10c.) descend, dismount; fall into; originate in, from L. descendere come down, descend, sink, from de down (see DE (Cf. de )) + scandere to climb, from PIE root *skand jump (see SCAN (Cf …   Etymology dictionary

  • descend — [v1] move down, lower a cascade, cataract, cave in*, coast, collapse, crash, crouch, decline, deplane, detrain, dip, disembark, dismount, dive, dribble*, drop, fall, fall prostrate, get down, get off, go down, gravitate, ground, incline, light,… …   New thesaurus

  • Descend — De*scend , v. t. To go down upon or along; to pass from a higher to a lower part of; as, they descended the river in boats; to descend a ladder. [1913 Webster] But never tears his cheek descended. Byron. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • descend — de·scend /di send/ vi: to pass by inheritance de·scen·di·bil·i·ty / ˌsen də bi lə tē/ n de·scend·ible / sen də bəl/ adj Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • descend on — index attack Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • descend — descend, dismount, alight mean to get or come down from a height. One descends when one climbs down a slope (as of a hill or mountain), a ladder, a step, a stair, a wall, or a tree; one dismounts when one gets down from a horse or from a bicycle… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • descend — [dē send′, disend′] vi. [ME descenden < OFr descendre < L descendere, to climb down, fall < de , down + scandere, to climb < ? IE base * skend , * skand , to leap > Gr skandalon (> SCANDAL), Sans Skandati, (he) leaps] 1. to move …   English World dictionary

  • descend — de|scend [dıˈsend] v [Date: 1300 1400; : Old French; Origin: descendre, from Latin scandere to climb ] 1.) [I and T] formal to move from a higher level to a lower one ≠ ↑ascend ▪ Our plane started to descend. ▪ I heard his footsteps descending… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • descend — verb 1 (I, T) formal to move from a higher level to a lower one: The plane started to descend. (+ from): He descended slowly from the railway carriage. | descend sth: Mrs Danvers descended the stairs. opposite ascend 2 (I) literary if darkness,… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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