descender

noun

de·​scend·​er di-ˈsen-dər 

ˈdē-ˌsen-

: the part of a lowercase letter (such as p) that descends below the main body of the letter

also : a letter that has such a part

Examples of descender in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the scene’s climax, Bullseye stunt double Brian Jansa falls from the rooftop on a descender and is blended into a CG version of the character that hits the concrete below with a wet smack. —Todd Longwell, Variety, 10 June 2025

The man was washing the windows outside the 35-story RSA Battle House Tower in downtown Mobile when his descender got stuck, Mobile Fire-Rescue said. —Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 30 July 2024

The ascenders and descenders are consequently short; in her view that gives the font a clinical, businesslike air unsuited to fiction. —The Economist, 18 Dec. 2019

The pair improved readability of the Federal Highway Administration's standard alphabet by tweaking the relative heights of letters and the lengths of ascenders and descenders. —Wired Staff, WIRED, 1 Mar. 2005

Word History

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for descender

• bartender
• contender
• defender
• engender
• extender
• offender
• pretender
• provender
• surrender
• suspender
• transgender
• bender