v.
Pronunciation: di- ' send, d ē -
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French descendre, from Latin descendere, from de- + scandere to climb ― more at SCAN
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb
1 : to pass from a higher place or level to a lower one < descend ed from the platform>
2 : to pass in discussion from what is logically prior or more comprehensive
3 a : to originate or come from an ancestral stock or source : DERIVE < descend s from an old merchant family> b : to pass by inheritance <a desk that has descend ed in the family> c : to pass by transmission <songs descend ed from old ballads>
4 : to incline, lead, or extend downward <the road descend s to the river>
5 a : to swoop or pounce down (as in a sudden attack) b : to appear suddenly and often disconcertingly as if from above <reporters descend ed on the candidate>
6 : to proceed in a sequence or gradation from higher to lower or from more remote to nearer or more recent
7 a : to lower oneself in status or dignity : STOOP b : to worsen and sink in condition or estimation
transitive verb
1 : to pass, move, or climb down or down along
2 : to extend down along
– de · scend · ible \ - ' sen-d ə -b ə l \ adjective