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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Descending \De*scend"ing\, a.
Of or pertaining to descent; moving downwards.
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{Descending constellations} or {Descending signs} (Astron.),
those through which the planets descent toward the south.


{Descending node} (Astron.), that point in a planet's orbit
where it intersects the ecliptic in passing southward.

{Descending series} (Math.), a series in which each term is
numerically smaller than the preceding one; also, a series
arranged according to descending powers of a quantity.
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Descend \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.
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The rain descended, and the floods came. --Matt.
vii. 25.
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We will here descend to matters of later date.
--Fuller.
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2. To enter mentally; to retire. [Poetic]
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[He] with holiest meditations fed,
Into himself descended. --Milton.
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3. To make an attack, or incursion, as if from a vantage
ground; to come suddenly and with violence; -- with on or
upon.
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And on the suitors let thy wrath descend. --Pope.
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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.
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5. To pass from the more general or important to the
particular or less important matters to be considered.
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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.
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7. (Anat.) To move toward the south, or to the southward.
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8. (Mus.) To fall in pitch; to pass from a higher to a lower
tone.
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