descend

  • 1Descend — 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,… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2descend — ► 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

  • 3descend — 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

  • 4descend — [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

  • 5Descend — 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

  • 6descend — 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

  • 7descend on — index attack Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary

  • 8descend — 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

  • 9descend — [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

  • 10descend — 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