Relating to or promoting descent; in anatomy, describing a muscle or mechanism that functions to pull or move something downward.
From Latin descended + -ory suffix, forming adjectives that describe purpose or function. Medical Latin terminology from anatomical studies.
Medieval anatomists borrowed the -ory suffix liberally to name things by what they do—calling something 'descensory' immediately tells you it pulls things down, same logic as 'respiratory' (relates to breathing).
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