# descender

> English word · Noun · IPA /dɪˈsɛndə(ɹ)/

## Definitions
1. A person or thing that descends.
2. The part of a letter or number that is drawn below the baseline (the bottom of most lowercase letters).
3. A letter that has such a portion, such as g, j, or in some fonts Q.
4. A cyclist who excels at fast descents.
5. A belay device used in rock climbing, or as a fire escape.

## Etymology
From descend + -er (agent noun suffix).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/descender