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descend (v.)

c. 1300, descenden, "move or pass from a higher to a lower place," from Old French descendre (10c.) "descend, dismount; fall into; originate in" and directly from Latin descendere "come down, descend, sink," from de "down" (see de-) + scandere "to climb," from PIE root *skand- "jump" (see scan (v.)).

Sense of "originate, proceed from a source or original" is late 14c. in English, as is that of "have a downward slope." Meaning "come down in a hostile manner, invade" is from early 15c. Related: Descended; descending.

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Definitions of descend from WordNet

descend (v.)
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way;
Synonyms: fall / go down / come down
descend (v.)
come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example;
She was descended from an old Italian noble family
Synonyms: derive / come
descend (v.)
do something that one considers to be below one's dignity;
Synonyms: condescend / deign
descend (v.)
come as if by falling;
Synonyms: fall / settle
From wordnet.princeton.edu