descends

Descends is the third-person singular present tense of the verb descend. It describes movement from a higher to a lower position, as in a road that descends toward a valley or stairs that descend to a basement. It also covers figurative movement or decline, such as a mood that descends into gloom or a situation that descends into chaos. In genealogy and biography, it is used to indicate origin in a family line, for example, “the family line descends from a 17th-century merchant.”

Etymology and related forms: The verb comes from Old French desendre, from Latin descendere, formed with de- meaning “down” and scandere meaning “to climb.” The form descends shares the same root with related forms such as descend, descended, and descending.

Usage notes: Descends is used as the present-tense form for a subject that performs the action of moving downward. It can take prepositions to indicate source or transition, such as from (origin) or into (state). Examples include: “The path descends to the river,” “The discussion descends into argument,” and “The line descends from a royal ancestor.” In discourse, it often appears in descriptive writing, geography, and genealogical contexts, where the sense of movement or origin is central.