Noun
the kinship relation between an individual and the individual's progenitors
the descendants of one individual
Source: WordNetAmericanism is a question of principle, of idealism, of character. It is not a matter of birthplace, or creed, or line of descent. Theodore Roosevelt
his entire lineage has been warriors Source: Internet
But many of those individuals were the product of complex ethnic intermarriage in America and elsewhere, complicating the idea of a single line of descent. Source: Internet
In this manner, all BTW's can trace a direct line of descent all the way back to Gardner. Source: Internet
Lionel had been the eldest son of Edward III to leave a surviving line of descent; by modern standards, his line had an indisputably superior claim over that of his younger brother John of Gaunt. Source: Internet
It also sheds light on human evolution; for example, analysis of variation in the human mitochondrial genome has led to the postulation of a recent common ancestor for all humans on the maternal line of descent (see Mitochondrial Eve ). Source: Internet