Middle English Dictionary Entry

dē̆scenden v.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Forms dē̆scenden v. Also dessenden, decenden, decendi & discenden, dis(s)enden, dissenten, discendir[!]. Forms: p. descended(e, decende, decent; ppl. descended, descend.
Etymology OF descend-re & L descend-ere.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
Of downward motion in space: (a) of rain: to fall; ~ doun fro (heaven); of a stream: flow down (from); of light, heat, lightning: stream down, descend; of an object: fall down, descend; from ~, fall off; of manure: sink in; (b) of the sun, a star: to decline in altitude; ~ under, go down, set; (c) of a person: to go or fall down; ~ down, get down or off; ~ of, get off (one's mount), dismount; land or disembark (at a place); (d) of a bird: ~ upon, to alight on (sth.); (e) of a sword: ~ doun, to descend, alight; ~ thurgh, pass down through (sth.).
Show 32 Quotations
2.
(a) Of a deity or the like: to descend from heaven, ~ out of; alight (in sb.); descend (to hell); etc.; (b) of a person: ~ into (til) helle, to go to hell, be damned; (c) of guilt, punishment: to come down (upon, intil sb.), light (upon).
Show 17 Quotations
3.
To fall or descend (upon an enemy), make an attack; ~ doun, ~ upon.
Show 3 Quotations
4.
To pass from a better to a worse condition; decline, degenerate.
Show 7 Quotations
5.
(a) To spring (from a certain ancestor), be a descendant (of); (b) to stem or derive (from a certain source); ~ of, ~ out of.
Show 12 Quotations
6.
Of an estate or office: to fall by right (to an heir), descend as a heritage (to sb.).
Show 8 Quotations
7.
(a) To proceed (to do or tell sth.); ~ doun; (b) to pass from the general to the specific, make a deduction.
Show 8 Quotations
8.
Misc. uses: (a) to slope downward; (b) to extend downward, run down; ~ fro, issue from; (c) alch. to descend, or make descend, as a distillate, condense; (d) mus. to drop in pitch; (e) to be immersed; (f) ~ from, to cause (sb.) to fall or break away from (a leader); (g) to consent or submit (to sth.).
Show 14 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)42/21 : The mone..is septentrional ascendinge..& fro the ende of thilke 3 signes, she is septentrional descending til she come to the…cauda draconis.
  • (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)42/35 : I knew þt the latitude of my mone was .1. degre…septentrional descending fro the Ecliptik.
  • (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)44/31 : The latitude of my mone was…fro the Ecliptil [read: Ecliptik] meridional discendinge.
    • Note: New gloss.
    Note: All quots. belong to sense 1.(b).
    Note: Gloss: 'also of the moon: to decline in altitude from the ecliptic, descend; to descend (from the ecliptic).
    Note: Note: the word "septentrional" is transcribed "7trional" (as it appears in the manuscript) in Price's text. In the EPlanets quot. in MED septenetriōnā̆l adj., the form "7trional" is expanded to "septentrional," which has been maintained in the supplement quots.--notes per MLL
  • (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)42/16 : Whan thy verrey argument passith 6 signes wyrk…ascende vpward in the meridional lyne…&fro thennes discende agayn.
    • Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.
    Note: Gloss: 'to pass downward from the south (meridional) line on an equatory.'--per MLL

©2025 Regents of the University of Michigan. For details about this collection's copyright see the MEC copyright statement and the U-M Library Copyright Policy. Data last refreshed Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 12:18:00.