de·scend / diˈsend/ • v. [intr.] 1. move or fall downward: the aircraft began to descend. ∎  [tr.] move down (a slope or stairs): the vehicle descended a ramp. ∎  (of stairs, a road or path, or a piece of land) be on a slope or incline and extend downward: a side road descended into the forest | [tr.] a narrow flight of stairs descended a steep slope. ∎  come or go down a scale, esp. from the superior to the inferior: [as adj.] (descending) the categories are listed in descending order of usefulness. ∎  Mus. (of sound) become lower in pitch: [as adj.] (descending) a passage of descending chords. ∎  (descend to) act in a specified shameful way that is far below one's usual standards: she descended to self-pity. ∎  (descend into) (of a situation or group of people) reach (a state considered undesirable or shameful): the army had descended into chaos.2. (descend on/upon) make a sudden attack on: the militia descended on Rye. ∎  make an unexpected and typically unwelcome visit to: treasure-seekers descended upon the site. ∎  (of a feeling or atmosphere) develop suddenly and be felt throughout a place or by a person or group of people: an air of gloom descended on the Democratic Party headquarters. ∎  (of night or darkness) begin to occur: as the winter darkness descended, the fighting ceased.3. (be descended from) be a blood relative of (a specified, typically illustrious ancestor): Jews believe they are descended from Abraham. ∎  (of an asset) pass by inheritance, typically from parent to child: his lands descended to his eldest son.DERIVATIVES: de·scend·ent / -dənt/ adj.ORIGIN: Middle English: from Old French descendre, from Latin descendere, from de- ‘down’ + scandere ‘to climb.’

descend XIII. — (O)F. descendre :- L. dēscendere, f. DE- 1 + scandere climb.
So descendant issue, offspring. XVI. — (O)F., prp. of descendre. descent XIV.