From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdescentde‧scent /dɪˈsent/ ●○○ noun 1 [countable, uncountable] formalDOWN the process of going down OPP ascent Passengers must fasten their seat belts prior to descent.descent from/to The descent to Base Camp took about two days.2 [uncountable]SSFCOME FROM/ORIGINATE your family origins, especially your nationality or relationship to someone important who lived a long time agoof Russian/Italian etc descent young men and women of Asian descentdescent from The emperor claimed descent from David.by descent They’re Irish by descent.3 [countable]TTR a path or road that goes down a slope OPP ascentdescent from/to There is no direct descent from the summit.4 [singular]BAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS a gradual change towards behaviour or a situation that is very baddescent into alcoholism/chaos/madness etc his descent into drug abuse5 [singular] British EnglishVISIT a sudden unwanted visit or attack the descent on the town by a motorcycle gang
Examples from the Corpus
descent• People in trance often begin their journeys by experiencing a descent through a downward tunnel.• The journey always starts with the endless descent to the street.• He had circulated a document which professed to trace his descent, through his father, from the Prophet.• The engineers used the idea that moulds life itself: descent with modification.• We took four hits, and immediately, we went into a rapid descent to elude the machine guns.• Passengers said the cabin shook violently during the plane's descent.• a slippery descentdescent from/to• She lived in Colorado and died at eighty-eight on her descent from her fourteenth climb of Pikes Peak.• King Laius of Thebes was the third in descent from Cadmus.• The truck roared and ripped down the last descent to the river valley.• Her morning descent to the kitchen was for her a moment of happiness and importance.• We took four hits, and immediately, we went into a rapid descent to elude the machine guns.• Murren is very limited, with one spectacular descent from the famous Schilthorn.• He had two options, he thought, as the plane began the descent to Brussels.• The descent to Base Camp took a further two days.by descent• Earth arrival is accomplished by aerocapture, followed by descent of the sample container under a parachute.• There is Star-buck, the chief mate of the Pequod, a native of Nantucket and a Quaker by descent.• Band members are generally kinsfolk, related by descent or marriage.descent from/to• She lived in Colorado and died at eighty-eight on her descent from her fourteenth climb of Pikes Peak.• King Laius of Thebes was the third in descent from Cadmus.• The truck roared and ripped down the last descent to the river valley.• Her morning descent to the kitchen was for her a moment of happiness and importance.• We took four hits, and immediately, we went into a rapid descent to elude the machine guns.• Murren is very limited, with one spectacular descent from the famous Schilthorn.• He had two options, he thought, as the plane began the descent to Brussels.• The descent to Base Camp took a further two days.descent into alcoholism/chaos/madness etc• A catalogue of misconceived ideas has preceded our descent into chaos.• Unsurprisingly, given its director, the film will be a psychological thriller that focuses on a man's descent into madness.• And play Van Gogh, he caught the descent into madness perfectly. 