Dictionary

descent en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈsɛnt/ (General-American)
• /diˈsɛnt/ (General-American)
• /dɪˈsɛnt/ (UK)
• /dəˈsɛnt/ (General-American)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English and Anglo-Norman descente, from Anglo-Norman descendre (“to descend”); see descend. Compare ascent, ascend. Doublet of desant.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) An instance of descending; act of coming down.
   • The next one surrendered his bike, only for that, too, to give him a second flat as he started the descent. 2012 July 15, Richard Williams, Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track, Guardian Unlimited:
   • We climbed the mountain with difficulty, but the descent was easier.
   • The descent continues, still more steeply to Dundee (Tay Bridge), and approaching from the bridge itself this sharp descent gives the curious appearance that the station is below the level of the firth. 1947 January and February, O. S. Nock, “"The Aberdonian" in Wartime”, in Railway Magazine, page 7:
   • To the north the towering scree-strewn slopes of Saddleback begin to draw nearer as we start the abrupt descent towards Keswick. 1961 October, 'Voyageur', “The Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway”, in Trains Illustrated, page 601:
2. (countable, uncountable) A way down.
   • We had difficulty in finding the correct descent.
3. (countable, uncountable) A sloping passage or incline.
   • The descent into the cavern was wet and slippery.
4. (countable, uncountable) Lineage or hereditary derivation.
   • Our guide was of Welsh descent.
5. (countable, uncountable) A drop to a lower status or condition; decline.
   • After that, the holiday went into a steep descent.
6. (countable, uncountable) A falling upon or invasion.
7. (countable, uncountable) A particular extension of the idea of gluing.

Forms

Antonyms

ascent (antonym(s) of “going down”)

Deriveds

bilateral descent · redescent · double descent · maldescent · matrilineal descent · descent vehicle · descent group · hyperdescent · minimum descent altitude · graduate student descent · identical by descent · hypodescent · recursive descent · patrilineal descent · infinite descent · gradient descent

Relateds

descend

Translations (131)

fa تبار (lineage or hereditary derivation) · kmr bineçe (lineage or hereditary derivation) · es bajada (sloping passage or incline) · ar نُزُول (instance of descending) · gd teàrnadh (sloping passage or incline) · hi अवरोहण (instance of descending) · de Abstieg (drop to a lower status or condition) · bg слизане (instance of descending) · pl zejście (instance of descending) · pt descida (sloping passage or incline) · bg нанадолнище (sloping passage or incline) · ota صوی (lineage or hereditary derivation) · es descenso (instance of descending) · gd teàrnadh (instance of descending) · uk спускання (instance of descending) · hi अवरोह (instance of descending) · fr ascendance (lineage or hereditary derivation) · es ascendencia (lineage or hereditary derivation) · eo descendo (instance of descending) · sh spȕst (way down) · de Abstieg (way down) · grc κατάβασις (instance of descending) · it ascendenza (lineage or hereditary derivation) · pt descida (instance of descending) · de Herkunft (lineage or hereditary derivation) · gl caída (drop to a lower status or condition) · gl decadencia (drop to a lower status or condition) · ca baixada (way down) · pt decadência (drop to a lower status or condition) · uk спуск (instance of descending) · bg спускане (instance of descending) · de Abstieg (sloping passage or incline) · ru спуск (instance of descending) · sh sìlazak (way down) · af afkoms (lineage or hereditary derivation) · id keturunan (lineage or hereditary derivation) · ka ჩამოსვლა (instance of descending) · es descenso (drop to a lower status or condition) · uk сходження (instance of descending) · cs sestup (way down) · sh spȕst (instance of descending) · haw ʻāluna (instance of descending) · pl zejście (sloping passage or incline) · la descensus (way down) · nl herkomst (lineage or hereditary derivation) · ang æfdæl (instance of descending) · kmr binate (lineage or hereditary derivation) · fi laskeutuminen (instance of descending) · ota ذریت (lineage or hereditary derivation) · nl afdaling (way down) · sdh بِنەچە (lineage or hereditary derivation) · sh rȏd (lineage or hereditary derivation) · cs sestup (instance of descending) · sh sìlazak (instance of descending) · pl droga w dół (way down) · ca descens (instance of descending) · uk походження (lineage or hereditary derivation) · sh sílaz (instance of descending) · es origen (lineage or hereditary derivation) · nl helling (sloping passage or incline) · nb avstamning (lineage or hereditary derivation) · cs pád (drop to a lower status or condition) · de Verschlechterung (drop to a lower status or condition) · sh pàdina (sloping passage or incline) · gl declive (drop to a lower status or condition) · gl prosapia (lineage or hereditary derivation) · cs původ (lineage or hereditary derivation) · pl zejście (way down) · nl afdaling (sloping passage or incline) · bg произход (lineage or hereditary derivation) · be пахаджэньне (lineage or hereditary derivation) · pt declive (way down) · gd teàrnadh (way down) · pt descida (way down) · de Abstammung (lineage or hereditary derivation) · mi heketanga (way down) · pt descimento (instance of descending) · ang æfdȳne (sloping passage or incline) · pdt Häakunft (lineage or hereditary derivation) · ta இறக்கம் (instance of descending) · gl ascendencia (lineage or hereditary derivation) · sh nágib (sloping passage or incline) · ka წარმომავლობა (lineage or hereditary derivation) · cs spád (sloping passage or incline) · ga tuirlingt (instance of descending) · bg слизане (way down) · pl pochodzenie (lineage or hereditary derivation) · fi lasku (drop to a lower status or condition) · ta இறங்குகை (instance of descending) · pl droga w dół (sloping passage or incline) · fr descente (instance of descending) · fr origine (lineage or hereditary derivation) · af herkoms (lineage or hereditary derivation) · gd sinnsearachd (lineage or hereditary derivation) · pt ascendência (lineage or hereditary derivation) · bg понижение (drop to a lower status or condition) · fi laskeutuminen (way down) · ckb بِنەچە (lineage or hereditary derivation) · sh pȃd (drop to a lower status or condition) · pt origem (lineage or hereditary derivation) · ru происхожде́ние (lineage or hereditary derivation) · pt descendência (lineage or hereditary derivation) · tl panupling (lineage or hereditary derivation) · gl baixada (instance of descending) · ja 降下 (instance of descending) · de Runterweg (instance of descending) · ar اَصْل (lineage or hereditary derivation) · pt ladeira (way down) · ru спуск (way down) · ka დაშვება (instance of descending) · gl descenso (instance of descending) · nl afkomst (lineage or hereditary derivation) · ru пониже́ние (drop to a lower status or condition) · gl proxenie (lineage or hereditary derivation) · ota نسل (lineage or hereditary derivation) · fi syntyperä (lineage or hereditary derivation) · de Weg nach unten (way down) · sh podrijétlo (lineage or hereditary derivation) · es abolengo (lineage or hereditary derivation) · es bajada (way down) · fi lasku (instance of descending) · nl afdaling (instance of descending) · fi alamäki (sloping passage or incline) · gl baixada (sloping passage or incline) · sh òbronak (sloping passage or incline) · gl baixada (way down) · sh porijéklo (lineage or hereditary derivation) · ru схождение (instance of descending) · de Abstieg (instance of descending) · la descensus (instance of descending) · it discesa (instance of descending)