DESCENDING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does descending mean? 

• DESCENDING (adjective)
  The adjective DESCENDING has 1 sense:

1. coming down or downward

  Familiarity information: DESCENDING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DESCENDING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Coming down or downward

Similar:

declivitous; downhill; downward-sloping (sloping down rather steeply)

degressive (going down by steps)

descendant; descendent (going or coming down)

down; downward (extending or moving from a higher to a lower place)

downward-arching (curving downward)

drizzling ((of rain) falling lightly in very small drops)

dropping; falling (coming down freely under the influence of gravity)

raining (falling in drops or as if falling like rain)

Also:

down (being or moving lower in position or less in some value)

Antonym:

ascending (moving or going or growing upward)

 Context examples 

I stood upon a height about two hundred yards from the shore, and saw this vast body descending almost to a parallel with me, at less than an English mile distance.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

A codelist to describe whether the posterior descending artery comes from the right or left vessel system.

(CDISC SDTM Coronary Artery Dominance Terminology, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

The right coronary artery supplies the posterior descending artery (PDA) and the circumflex supplies the posterolateral artery (PLA).

(Co-Dominant Artery, NCI Thesaurus/ACC)

I had supposed him to be despising his fellow-creatures in general, but did not suspect him of descending to such malicious revenge, such injustice, such inhumanity as this.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Holmes took the bag, and, descending into the hollow, he pushed the matting into a more central position.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There it came now, the god's hand, cunning to hurt, thrusting out at him, descending upon his head.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

They are more like children to him, even the hunters, and as children he treats them, descending perforce to their level and playing with them as a man plays with puppies.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“At least,” said I as we heard her quick, firm steps descending the stairs, “she seems to be a young lady who is very well able to take care of herself.”

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The contribution of blood supply from the right or left vessel system to the posterior descending artery.

(Coronary Artery Dominance, NCI Thesaurus/ACC)

The posterior descending artery (PDA) and posterolateral artery (PLA) arises from the right coronary artery.

(Coronary Artery Right Dominance, NCI Thesaurus/ACC)