Part 674

<blockquote>Custom has an <b>ascendency</b> over the understanding. <i>Watts.</i></blockquote>

<syn>Syn. -- Control; authority; influence; sway; dominion; prevalence; domination.</syn>

<h1>Ascendible</h1> <Xpage=87>

<hw>As*cend"i*ble</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>ascendibilis</ets>.]</ety> <def>Capable of being ascended; climbable.</def>

<h1>Ascending</h1> <Xpage=87>

<hw>As*cend"ing</hw>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Rising; moving upward; <as>as, an <ex>ascending</ex> kite</as>.</def> -- <wordforms><wf>As*cend"ing*ly</wf>, <tt>adv.</tt></wordforms>

<cs><col>Ascending latitude</col> <fld>(Astron.)</fld>, <cd>the increasing latitude of a planet.</cd> <i>Ferguson</i>. -- <col>Ascending line</col> <fld>(Geneol.)</fld>, <cd>the line of relationship traced backward or through one's ancestors. One's father and mother, grandfather and grandmother, etc., are in the <i>line<i> direct <i>ascending<i>.</cd> -- <col>Ascending node</col> <cd>having, that node of the moon or a planet wherein it passes the ecliptic to proceed northward. It is also called the <altname>northern node</altname>.</cd> <i>Herschel</i>. -- <col>Ascending series</col>. <fld>(Math.)</fld> <sd>(a)</sd> <cd>A series arranged according to the ascending powers of a quantity.</cd> <sd>(b)</sd> <cd>A series in which each term is greater than the preceding.</cd> -- <col>Ascending signs</col>, <cd>signs east of the meridian.</cd></cs>

<h1>Ascension</h1> <Xpage=87>

<hw>As*cen"sion</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>ascension</ets>, L. <ets>ascensio</ets>, fr. <ets>ascendere</ets>. See <er>Ascend</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>The act of ascending; a rising; ascent.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Specifically: The visible ascent of our Savior on the fortieth day after his resurrection. (<i>Acts i. 9.</i>) Also, Ascension Day.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>An ascending or arising, as in distillation; also that which arises, as from distillation.</def>

<blockquote>Vaporous <b>ascensions</b> from the stomach. <i>Sir T. Browne.</i></blockquote>

<cs><col>Ascension Day</col>, <cd>the Thursday but one before Whitsuntide, the day on which commemorated our Savior's ascension into heaven after his resurrection; -- called also <altname>Holy Thursday</altname>.</cd> -- <col>Right ascension</col> <fld>(Astron.)</fld>, <cd>that degree of the equinoctial, counted from the beginning of Aries, which rises with a star, or other celestial body, in a right sphere; or the arc of the equator intercepted between the first point of Aries and that point of the equator that comes to the meridian with the star; -- expressed either in degrees or in time.</cd> -- <col>Oblique ascension</col> <fld>(Astron.)</fld>, <cd>an arc of the equator, intercepted between the first point of Aries and that point of the equator which rises together with a star, in an oblique sphere; or the arc of the equator intercepted between the first point of Aries and that point of the equator that comes to the horizon with a star. It is little used in modern astronomy.</cd></cs>

<h1>Ascensional</h1> <Xpage=87>

<hw>As*cen"sion*al</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Relating to ascension; connected with ascent; ascensive; tending upward; <as>as, the <ex>ascensional</ex> power of a balloon</as>.</def>

<cs><col>Ascensional difference</col> <fld>(Astron.)</fld>, <cd>the difference between oblique and right ascension; -- used chiefly as expressing the difference between the time of the rising or setting of a body and six o'clock, or six hours from its meridian passage.</cd></cs>

<h1>Ascensive</h1> <Xpage=87>

<hw>As*cen"sive</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[See <er>Ascend</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Rising; tending to rise, or causing to rise.</def>

<i>Owen.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Gram.)</fld> <def>Augmentative; intensive.</def>

<i>Ellicott.</i>

<h1>Ascent</h1> <Xpage=87>

<hw>As*cent"</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>. <ety>[Formed like <ets>descent</ets>, as if from a F. <ets>ascente</ets>, fr. a verb <ets>ascendre</ets>, fr. L. <ets>ascendere</ets>. See <er>Ascend</er>, <er>Descent</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>The act of rising; motion upward; rise; a mounting upward; <as>as, he made a tedious <ex>ascent</ex>; the <ex>ascent</ex> of vapors from the earth.</as></def>

<blockquote>To him with swift <b>ascent</b> he up returned. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The way or means by which one ascends.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>An eminence, hill, or high place.</def>

<i>Addison.</i>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>The degree of elevation of an object, or the angle it makes with a horizontal line; inclination; rising grade; <as>as, a road has an <ex>ascent</ex> of five degrees</as>.</def>