Ancestry, origin; spec. noble ancestry, nobility; hence, honour, dignity, might, power.

Lineage, descent, or rank; esp. noble or high lineage. Also: the qualities of courtesy, generosity, etc., held to be proper to a person of noble…

Noble or upper-class ancestry or lineage. Hence: persons of gentle or noble ancestry viewed collectively; the gentry or nobility. Now archaic and…

Ancestral lineage or descent, now frequently in relation to ethnic or national origins; (sometimes spec.) noble, aristocratic, or ancient descent.

Without article: descent in the abstract; esp. distinguished or ancient descent; the system of social rank based on genealogy. Also in extended use.

spec. High social status inherited from one's parents; noble lineage. Obsolete.