rappel vs descend

rappel is a noun but descend is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
rappel	Yes	No	Yes	No
descend	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, descend is a hypernym of rappel; that is, descend is a word with a broader meaning than rappel:

Other hypernyms of rappel include come down, fall, go down.

rappel (noun)	descend (noun)
(mountaineering) a descent of a vertical cliff or wall made by using a doubled rope that is fixed to a higher point and wrapped around the body

rappel (verb)	descend (verb)
descend by means of a rappel	come as if by falling
	move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
	do something that one considers to be below one's dignity
	come from; be connected by a relationship of blood, for example