cataract
a descent of water over a steep surface; a waterfall, especially one of considerable size.
any furious rush or downpour of water; deluge.
Ophthalmology.
an abnormality of the eye, characterized by opacity of the lens.
the opaque area.
Origin of cataract
1Other words from cataract
- cat·a·rac·tal, cat·a·rac·tous, adjective
- cat·a·ract·ed, adjective
Words Nearby cataract
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use cataract in a sentence
The Old cataract Hotel, built in 1899, is owned by the Egyptian government but managed by Sofitel, a French luxury hotel group.
Winston Churchill’s Egyptian Getaway: The Old Cataract Hotel | Lauren Bohn | December 15, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTRedundancy in general remains an issue for Wolcott: “white-boned,” “pale-moon,” “bulk-sized,” “streaming cataract,” “forlorn rue.”
The Obligation to be Interesting: James Wolcott’s “Critical Mass” | William Giraldi | October 24, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTA vast mountain of green water lifted up its bulk and fell upon us in a ravening cataract.
Uncanny Tales | VariousIt was not a sea that came away; it was a mere enormous cataract that poured on irresistibly.
The Chequers | James RuncimanEven as he spoke the dull growl of a cataract was heard, and, a few minutes later, the party came upon the ford of the river.
Hunted and Harried | R.M. Ballantyne
The Baron de Wentzel was the most famous oculist of the day, and the discoverer of operations for cataract.
Private Letters of Edward Gibbon (1753-1794) Volume 1 (of 2) | Edward GibbonSee, Wharton, there is a man crossing in the very eddies of the cataract, and in a skiff no bigger than an egg-shell.
The Spy | J. Fenimore Cooper
British Dictionary definitions for cataract
/ (ˈkætəˌrækt) /
a large waterfall or rapids
a deluge; downpour
pathol
partial or total opacity of the crystalline lens of the eye
the opaque area
Origin of cataract
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for cataract
[ kăt′ə-răkt′ ]
An opacity of the lens of the eye or the membrane that covers it, causing impairment of vision or blindness.
A waterfall in which a large volume of water flows over a steep precipice.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for cataract
[ (kat-uh-rakt) ]
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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