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.
But never tears his cheek
descended.
Byron.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, as by
falling, flowing, walking, etc.; to plunge; to fall; to incline
downward; -- the opposite of ascend.
The rain descended, and the floods
came.
Matt. vii. 25.
We will here descend to matters of later
date.
Fuller.
2. To enter mentally; to retire.
[Poetic]
[He] with holiest meditations fed,
Into himself descended.
Milton.
3. 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.
Pope.
4. 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.
5. To pass from the more general or important
to the particular or less important matters to be
considered.
6. 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.
7. (Anat.) To move toward the south,
or to the southward.
8. (Mus.) To fall in pitch; to pass
from a higher to a lower tone.