descent noun
1 movement down
ADJ. rapid, swift | slow | steep | gentle, gradual | difficult, easy They began the difficult descent of the mountain's south west face. | final The plane was making its final descent so we had to fasten our seat belts.
VERB + DESCENT make
PREP. on/during a/the ~ The engines failed on the plane's descent to Orly. | ~ down I made a slow and painful descent down the stairs. | ~ from the descent from the top of the mountain | ~ into (figurative) his descent into alcoholism | ~ to The plane began its gentle descent to Heathrow.
PHRASES a rate of descent We slowed the balloon's rate of descent.
2 surface that goes downwards
ADJ. gentle | steep
3 family origins
ADJ. direct, lineal She claims direct descent from Queen Victoria. | common Most European languages have a common descent. | mixed | Chinese, Irish, etc.
VERB + DESCENT claim, have | trace | share groups sharing common descent
PREP. by ~ She is Hungarian by descent. | ~ from He claims to have traced descent from Christopher Columbus.
PHRASES a line of descent Humans and other apes followed separate lines of descent from a common ancestor. | of Mexican, Scottish, etc. descent She is of mixed European and African descent.
You can also check other dicts: descent (English, 中文解释 ), wordnet sense, Collins Definition