Ascension

Ascension, as-sen′shun, n. a rising or going up.—adjs. Ascend′ant, -ent, superior: above the horizon.—n. superiority: (astrol.) the part of the ecliptic rising above the horizon at the time of one's birth; it was supposed to have commanding influence over the person's life, hence the phrase, 'in the ascendant:' superiority or great influence: (rare) an ancestor.—n. Ascend′ency, controlling influence—also Ascend′ancy, Ascend′ance, Ascend′ence (rare).—adj. Ascen′sional, relating to ascension.—n. Ascen′sion-day, the festival held on Holy Thursday, ten days before Whitsunday, to commemorate Christ's ascension to heaven.—adj. Ascen′sive, rising: causing to rise.—n. Ascent′, act of ascending: upward movement, as of a balloon: way of ascending: degree of elevation or advancement: slope or gradient: a flight of steps.—Line of ascent, ancestry.—Right ascension (astron.), the name applied to one of the arcs which determine the position relatively to the equator of a heavenly body on the celestial sphere, the other being the declinator. [L. ascensio—ascendĕre.]