descendant
/dɪˈsendənt/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈsendənt/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈsen-dənt/ (ame, mw)
descendant — 名詞
- descendantsingular
- descendantsplural
1. a person who belongs to a later generation of a particular family line — for exa
後裔；子孫
家族中後代的人
a person who belongs to a later generation of a particular family line — for example, a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of someone who lived earlier.
Dr. Okafor is a direct descendant of the chief who signed the treaty in 1850.
Okafor 博士是 1850 年簽署條約的那位酋長的直系後裔。
descendant + of + family role
The Watanabe family gathered to honor ancestors and teach young descendants about their history.
渡邊家族聚在一起緬懷祖先，並教導年輕的子孫認識家族歷史。
Many descendants of European immigrants still live in the neighbourhoods their grandparents first settled.
許多歐洲移民的後裔仍住在祖父母最初定居的社區。
A library book lists all known descendants of the poet, going back three centuries.
圖書館裡有一本書記載了這位詩人所有已知的後裔，時間跨度長達三百年。
A DNA test showed Mei-Lin that she is a descendant of a famous scientist.
DNA 檢測讓 Mei-Lin 知道她是一位著名科學家的後裔。
- ancestor
a person from whom one is descended, earlier in the family line
文法句型
descendant + of + [person/family]
用法筆記
Frequently used with 'direct' (direct descendant = child/grandchild) or 'distant' (distant descendant = many generations later). Often followed by 'of' plus a person's name or a family group.
常見錯誤
2. an animal that is related to a much earlier type of animal through a long line o
後代（動物）
動物演化出的後代
an animal that is related to a much earlier type of animal through a long line of generations, often showing how a species has changed over time.
These island birds are descendants of a species blown there by a storm long ago.
這些島嶼鳥類是許久以前被暴風吹到島上的單一物種的後代。
descendants + of + species
Scientists believe modern whales are descendants of land mammals that returned to the ocean.
科學家認為現代鯨魚是返回海洋的陸地哺乳動物的後代。
The zoo's new exhibit shows how today's elephants are descendants of ancient woolly mammoths.
動物園的新展區展示了現代大象是古代長毛象的後代。
Chickens are descendants of a wild Asian bird called the red junglefowl.
雞是亞洲一種名為紅原雞的野生鳥類的後代。
Island finches are descendants of a common ancestor that arrived millions of years ago.
每個島嶼上的雀鳥都是數百萬年前抵達的共同祖先的後代。
- offspring
can apply to animals but usually means immediate young, not distant lineage
- ancestor
the earlier species from which a later species developed
文法句型
descendant + of + [animal group]
用法筆記
Common in biology and evolution contexts. Often paired with 'common ancestor' and 'species'. Nearly always takes the pattern 'descendant of [ancient group]'.
3. something that has developed from an earlier form or style and clearly shows its
衍生物
受早期事物影響的後續發展
something that has developed from an earlier form or style and clearly shows its influence — for example, a modern type of music that grew out of earlier genres, or a current technology based on an older version.
Hip-hop is a direct descendant of earlier funk, soul, and disco music from the 1970s.
嘻哈音樂是 1970 年代放克、靈魂樂和迪斯可音樂的直接衍生物。
direct descendant + of + earlier genre
An electric car is a descendant of the first hybrid models from twenty years ago.
電動車是二十年前第一代混合動力車型的衍生物。
Many modern board games are descendants of ancient games played in Egypt and China.
許多現代桌遊是古埃及和中國古代遊戲的衍生物。
This cooking style is a descendant of peasant dishes that rural families made for centuries.
這種烹飪風格是鄉村家庭數百年來所做農家菜的衍生物。
This phone's operating system is a clear descendant of early touchscreen software.
這款手機的作業系統是早期觸控軟體的明顯衍生物。
- successor
focuses on replacing something in sequence rather than developing from it
- derivative
often suggests less originality; can sound negative
- result
more general; does not imply a chain of development
- predecessor
the earlier thing that the descendant developed from
- forerunner
an earlier example that shows the shape of what came later
文法句型
descendant + of + [earlier thing]
用法筆記
Often used with 'direct' or 'clear' (direct/clear descendant). Common in discussions of art, music, technology, and culture where one form grows from another. Unlike the FAMILY LINE sense, the connection is influence and development rather than blood relation.
常見錯誤
descendant — 形容詞
- descendantpositive
- more descendantcomparative
- most descendantsuperlative
1. moving or leading from a higher position to a lower one, especially along a slop
下降的
由高處往低處移動
moving or leading from a higher position to a lower one, especially along a slope or path.
The descendant trail took hikers past waterfalls and through thick forest to the lake.
這條下降的小徑帶領登山者越過瀑布、穿過茂密的森林，一路下到湖邊。
A gentle descendant slope led from the farmhouse to the stream where the cows drank.
一道平緩的下降坡從農舍通往牛群喝水的溪流。
descendant slope — collocation for a downward incline
A descendant conveyor belt carried freshly harvested coffee beans down the mountain to the processing shed.
一條下降的輸送帶將剛採收的咖啡豆運下山，送到加工廠。
The old railway followed a descendant route through the mountains toward the coastal plain.
這條舊鐵路沿著一條下降的路線穿過群山，通往沿海平原。
- descending
far more common; the everyday word for moving downward
- downward
can be adjective or adverb; also more common in casual use
用法筆記
Much less common than the noun form. Typically describes physical movement in formal or technical writing. The synonymous 'descending' is far more frequent in everyday English.
2. coming or derived from an earlier person, group, or source, especially through a
衍生的
從祖先或源頭傳承而來
coming or derived from an earlier person, group, or source, especially through a family line or tradition.
The family's descendant land rights trace back to a royal grant from the 1600s.
這家人傳承下來的土地權利可追溯至 1600 年代的一項王室授與。
attributive adjective before noun — descendant land rights
His descendant relatives inherited the estate after a long legal battle.
他的家族後輩在一場漫長的法律訴訟後繼承了這筆遺產。
attributive adjective — descendant relatives
The festival's descendant traditions include a harvest ceremony brought by early settlers.
這個節慶傳承下來的傳統包括早期移民帶來的豐收儀式。
The descendant ceremonies of the spring festival include offerings brought by the first settlers.
這個春節流傳下來的儀式包括最早移民帶來的祭品。
- derived from
more common in modern English; used for both physical and non-physical origins
- inherited from
suggests a direct passing-down, often of qualities or rights
- original
not coming from an earlier source; the first of its kind
文法句型
descendant from [source]
用法筆記
Extremely rare in modern English — almost never used in everyday speech. When used, it appears mostly in formal legal or historical writing. The noun form with 'of' is the natural modern choice ('these traditions are descendants of...'). Most contemporary writers would use 'descended from' or 'derived from' instead of using 'descendant' as an adjective. The attributive adjective use (e.g. 'descendant traditions') is slightly more common than the 'descendant from' construction, but both are very unusual outside formal text.