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A descendant of Ishmael (the son of Abraham and Hagar), of whom it was said, "His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him." Gen. xvi. 12.

A descendant of Israel, or Jacob; a Hebrew; a Jew.

ogeny; a child or children; offspring. In law, sometimes, in a general sense, all persons descended from a common ancestor; all lineal descendants. If the king Should without issue die. Shak.

A partisan or adherent of James the Second, after his abdication, or of his descendants, an opposer of the revolution in 1688 in favor of William and Mary. Macaulay.

A descendant of Japheth.

A candlestick with many branches, each of which bears the name of some one of the descendants of Jesse; -- called also tree of Jesse. Jesse window (Arch.), a window of which the glazing and tracery represent the tree of Jesse.

An inclined road in a coal mine, on which loaded cars descend by gravity, drawing up empty ones. Knight.

A pseudonym used to designate the descendants of two sisters, the "Jukes" sisters, whose husbands were sons of a backwoodsman of Dutch descent. They lived in the State of New York, and their history was investigated by R. L. Dugdale as an example of the inheritance of criminal and immoral tendencies, disease, and paupe…

A sleeveless jacket worn over the armor in the 14th century. It fitted closely, and descended below the hips. Dryden.

eps of the pulpit in Mohammedan mosques, offering glory to God, praising Mohammed and his descendants, and the ruling princes.

ch the action of a story depends; the gist of a matter. [Obs.] I shoulde to the knotte condescend, And maken of her walking soon an end. Chaucer.

One of the half-breed descendants of whites and Indians; a mestizo; -- so called throughout Central America. They are usually of a yellowish orange tinge. Am. Cyc.

e uses. A tendency to lapse into the barbarity of those northern nations from whom we are descended. Swift. Homer, in his characters of Vulcan and Thersites, has lapsed into the burlesque character. Addison.

One of the tribe or family of Levi; a descendant of Levi; esp., one subordinate to the priests (who were of the same tribe) and employed in various duties connected with the tabernacle first, and afterward the temple, such as the care of the building, bringing of wood and other necessaries for the sacrifices, the music…

; -- opposed to gravity. He gave the form of levity to that which ascended; to that which descended, the form of gravity. Sir. W. Raleigh. This bubble by reason of its comparative levity to the fluidity that incloses it, would ascend to the top. Bentley.

To dismount; to descend, as from a horse or carriage; to alight; - - with from, off, on, upon, at, in. When she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. Gen. xxiv. 64. Slowly rode across a withered heath, And lighted at a ruined inn. Tennyson.

To descend; to light. O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us. Book of Common Prayer [Eng. Ed.]

The course followed by anything in motion; hence, a road or route; as, the arrow descended in a curved line; the place is remote from lines of travel.

Descent in a line from a common progenitor; progeny; race; descending line of offspring or ascending line of parentage. Both the lineage and the certain sire From which I sprung, from me are hidden yet. Spenser.

Descending in a direct line from an ancestor; hereditary; derived from ancestors; -- opposed to collateral; as, a lineal descent or a lineal descendant. The prime and ancient right of lineal succession. Locke.