The name given to the fifteen psalms Psm 120-134 ("Songs of Degrees" in KJV). They are called shir hamma‘aloth (shir lamma‘aloth in Psm 121) in Hebrew. 'Ascent' is used in two senses in Hebrew literature: 1) as the return of the exiles from Babylon after Cyrus had vanquished the Babylonian empire, and 2) as referring to the journey of the worshippers, but particularly of the Levites, as they make their journey towards Jerusalem for the festivals. The term "songs of ascent" should probably be understood as referring to the psalms sung by the worshippers in the latter sense. A custom developed later in which they sang the songs as they ascend the fifteen steps into the temple.
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