/ dɪˈsend; NAmE / verb
1.
( formal ) to come or go down from a higher to a lower level :
[ v ]
The plane began to descend.
The results, ranked in descending order (= from the highest to the lowest) are as follows:
[ vn ]
She descended the stairs slowly.
OPP ascend
2.
[ v ] ( formal ) ( of a hill, etc. ) to slope downwards :
At this point the path descends steeply.
OPP ascend
3.
[ v ] descend (on / upon sb/sth) ( literary ) ( of night, darkness , a mood, etc. ) to arrive and begin to affect sb/sth
SYN fall :
Night descends quickly in the tropics.
Calm descended on the crowd.
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- be descended from sb
- descend into sth
- descend on / upon sb/sth
- descend to sth
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French descendre , from Latin descendere , from de- down + scandere to climb.