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de·scen·dant

(dĭ-sĕndənt)

1. One whose descent can be traced to a particular individual or group: a descendant of Queen Victoria; descendants of a prize-winning horse.

2. Something derived from a prototype or earlier form: Today's bicycles are descendants of the earlier velocipede.

3. In astrology, the point of the ecliptic or the sign of the zodiac that sets in the west at the time of a person's birth or other event.

adj.

Variant of descendent.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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