Definitions for descend
dɪˈsɛndde·scend

Princeton's WordNet(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. descend, fall, go down, come down(verb)

   move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

   "The temperature is going down"; "The barometer is falling"; "The curtain fell on the diva"; "Her hand went up and then fell again"

2. derive, come, descend(verb)

   come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example

   "She was descended from an old Italian noble family"; "he comes from humble origins"

3. condescend, deign, descend(verb)

   do something that one considers to be below one's dignity

4. fall, descend, settle(verb)

   come as if by falling

   "Night fell"; "Silence fell"

Wiktionary(4.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. descend(Verb)

   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

   Etymology: From decenden, from descendre, from descendere, past participle descensus, from de- + scandere. See scan, scandent. Compare ascend, condescend, transcend.

2. descend(Verb)

   To enter mentally; to retire. [Poetic]

   [He] with holiest meditations fed, Into himself descended. John Milton.

   Etymology: From decenden, from descendre, from descendere, past participle descensus, from de- + scandere. See scan, scandent. Compare ascend, condescend, transcend.

3. descend(Verb)

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

   And on the suitors let thy wrath descend. Alexander Pope.

   Etymology: From decenden, from descendre, from descendere, past participle descensus, from de- + scandere. See scan, scandent. Compare ascend, condescend, transcend.

4. descend(Verb)

   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.

   Etymology: From decenden, from descendre, from descendere, past participle descensus, from de- + scandere. See scan, scandent. Compare ascend, condescend, transcend.

5. descend(Verb)

   To pass from the more general or important to the particular or less important matters to be considered.

   Etymology: From decenden, from descendre, from descendere, past participle descensus, from de- + scandere. See scan, scandent. Compare ascend, condescend, transcend.

6. descend(Verb)

   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.

   Etymology: From decenden, from descendre, from descendere, past participle descensus, from de- + scandere. See scan, scandent. Compare ascend, condescend, transcend.

7. descend(Verb)

   To move toward the south, or to the southward.

   Etymology: From decenden, from descendre, from descendere, past participle descensus, from de- + scandere. See scan, scandent. Compare ascend, condescend, transcend.

8. descend(Verb)

   To fall in pitch; to pass from a higher to a lower tone.

   Etymology: From decenden, from descendre, from descendere, past participle descensus, from de- + scandere. See scan, scandent. Compare ascend, condescend, transcend.

9. descend(Verb)

   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.

   But never tears his cheek descended. Byron.

   Etymology: From decenden, from descendre, from descendere, past participle descensus, from de- + scandere. See scan, scandent. Compare ascend, condescend, transcend.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Descend(verb)

   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

   Etymology: [F. descendre, L. descendere, descensum; de- + scandere to climb. See Scan.]

2. Descend(verb)

   to enter mentally; to retire

   Etymology: [F. descendre, L. descendere, descensum; de- + scandere to climb. See Scan.]

3. Descend(verb)

   to make an attack, or incursion, as if from a vantage ground; to come suddenly and with violence; -- with on or upon

   Etymology: [F. descendre, L. descendere, descensum; de- + scandere to climb. See Scan.]

4. Descend(verb)

   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

   Etymology: [F. descendre, L. descendere, descensum; de- + scandere to climb. See Scan.]

5. Descend(verb)

   to pass from the more general or important to the particular or less important matters to be considered

   Etymology: [F. descendre, L. descendere, descensum; de- + scandere to climb. See Scan.]

6. Descend(verb)

   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

   Etymology: [F. descendre, L. descendere, descensum; de- + scandere to climb. See Scan.]

7. Descend(verb)

   to move toward the south, or to the southward

   Etymology: [F. descendre, L. descendere, descensum; de- + scandere to climb. See Scan.]

8. Descend(verb)

   to fall in pitch; to pass from a higher to a lower tone

   Etymology: [F. descendre, L. descendere, descensum; de- + scandere to climb. See Scan.]

9. Descend(verb)

   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

   Etymology: [F. descendre, L. descendere, descensum; de- + scandere to climb. See Scan.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Descend

   dē-send′, v.i. to climb down: to pass from a higher to a lower place or condition: to pass from general to particulars: to fall upon or invade: to be derived.—v.t. to go down upon: to go to the bottom of.—n. Descend′ant, one who descends, as offspring from an ancestor.—adjs. Descend′ent, descending or going down: proceeding from an ancestor; Descend′ible, that may descend or be descended: capable of transmission by inheritance, heritable.—p.adj. Descend′ing.—n. Descen′sion.—adj. Descen′sional.—n. Descent′, act of descending: transmission by succession: motion or progress downward: slope: a falling upon or invasion: derivation from an ancestor: a generation, a degree in genealogy: descendants collectively.—Descent from the cross, a picture representing Christ being taken down from the cross. [Fr. descendre—L. descendĕre—de, down, scandĕre, to climb.]

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. descend

   In a military sense, means to make an attack or incursion as if from a vantage-ground.

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. descend

   The descend symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the descend symbol and its characteristic.

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'descend' in Verbs Frequency: #789

How to pronounce descend?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say descend in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of descend in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of descend in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of descend in a Sentence

1. Mehmet Murat ildan:

   Climb the ladder only if it takes you to somewhere high! Some ascents may descend you to low places!

2. Barack Obama:

   We are not well served when, in response to a terrorist attack, we descend into fear and panic, we don't make good decisions if it's based on hysteria or an exaggeration of risks.

3. RJ Intindola – (Gandolfo):

   Deep into the night, people I’ve known descend around me and deliver whispering reminders of moments abandoned.

4. George Osgood:

   If you descend [with a regular leg], your calf breaks in, but with a mechanical leg, it resists.

5. Wyatt Harman:

   They can sit there and hover, they can descend very fast. They can take off very fast.

Images & Illustrations of descend

Popularity rank by frequency of use