noun
1 movement down
ADJECTIVE
▪ fast , rapid , swift ( esp. BrE )
▪ slow
▪ steep
▪ gentle , gradual
▪ long
▪ difficult , easy
▪
They began the difficult ~ of the mountain's south face.
▪ final
▪
The plane was making its final ~.
VERB + DESCENT
▪ make
▪ begin , start
▪ continue
▪ slow
▪
The space capsule used parachutes to slow its ~.
PREPOSITION
▪ during a/the ~ , on a/the ~
▪
The engines failed on the plane's ~ to Newark.
▪ ~ down
▪
I made a slow and painful ~ down the stairs.
▪ ~ from
▪
the ~ from the top of the mountain
▪ ~ into ( figurative )
▪
his ~ into alcoholism
▪ ~ to
▪
The plane began its gentle ~ to Narita.
PHRASES
▪ a rate of ~
▪
We slowed the balloon's rate of ~.
2 surface that goes downwards
ADJECTIVE
▪ gentle
▪ steep
3 family origins
ADJECTIVE
▪ direct , lineal
▪
She claims direct ~ from Queen Victoria.
▪ common
▪
Most European languages have a common ~.
▪ mixed
▪ African , Chinese , European , Irish , etc.
VERB + DESCENT
▪ claim , have
▪ trace
▪ share
▪
groups sharing common ~
PREPOSITION
▪ by ~
▪
She is Hungarian by ~.
▪ ~ from
▪
He claims to have traced ~ from Christopher Columbus.
PHRASES
▪ a line of ~
▪
Humans and other apes followed separate lines of ~ from a common ancestor.
▪ of Mexican, Scottish, etc. ~
▪
She is of mixed European and African ~.