ETYM French descente, from descendre; like vente, from vendre. Related to Descend.
1. A downward slope; SYN. declivity, fall, decline, downslope.
2. A movement downward.
3. The act of changing one's location in a downward direction.
4. The kinship relation between an individual and the individual's progenitors; SYN. line of descent, lineage, filiation.