cataract

American  

[kat-uh-rakt] / ˈkæt əˌrækt /

noun

cataracts plural

1. a descent of water over a steep surface; a waterfall, especially one of considerable size.

2. any furious rush or downpour of water; deluge.

3. Ophthalmology.

   1. an abnormality of the eye, characterized by opacity of the lens.

   2. the opaque area.

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cataract British  

/ ˈkætəˌrækt /

noun

1. a large waterfall or rapids

2. a deluge; downpour

3. pathol

   1. partial or total opacity of the crystalline lens of the eye

   2. the opaque area

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cataract Scientific  

/ kăt′ə-răkt′ /

1. An opacity of the lens of the eye or the membrane that covers it, causing impairment of vision or blindness.

2. A waterfall in which a large volume of water flows over a steep precipice.

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cataract Cultural  

1. A loss in the transparency of the lens of the eye, which reduces a person's ability to see. The condition can be treated by surgically removing the lens and replacing it with an artificial one, or with corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cataractal
  adjective
• cataracted
  adjective
• cataractous
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cataracts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cataract

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cataracte, from Latin catar(r)acta, from Greek katarráktēs “waterfall, floodgate, portcullis” (noun), “downrushing” (adjective), from katarássein “to dash down,” from kat- cata- + arássein “to dash, smite”

Explanation

If someone has a cataract in their right eye, their lens is cloudy rather than clear, so they have difficulty seeing. Luckily, cataracts are easily removed. Cataracts, cloudy areas of the lenses of the eye, are often associated with old age. Cataract can also mean a large waterfall, like Niagara Falls. Even with cataracts, you can still make out a cataract. It's not a little waterfall; it's huge!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cataract cataracts

It came as little surprise that when one needed cataract surgery on his right eye, the other also had the same operation on the same eye.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

And the fabled eye of CBS may grow a cataract at the prospect of being jeered from the stage of the nearly 6,000-seat Radio City Music Hall, to what would be resounding applause.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

He said doctors told him he’ll require surgery to remove the cataract before they can determine that.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2026

He had studied it after his botched cataract surgery but never mastered it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 27, 2025

Beside me, the student's eyes swam with a distorting cataract of tears, his features rigid as though he struggled within himself.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Older people are more prone to conditions such as cataracts and glaucoma, for example.

From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026

But myopia also increases the risk of cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment and other eye diseases later in life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025

When ozone levels drop, more UV rays reach the ground, increasing the risk of crop damage and contributing to higher rates of skin cancer and cataracts, along with other negative health effects.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2025

Tran’s medical bills from an ongoing battle with diabetes and cataracts and the costs of the increased security measures were the last straw for the family and the market.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2025

But Ged paid him for it in sorcerers’ kind, healing his eyes of the cataracts that were in the way of blinding him.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin