cascade

cascade (kæsˈkeɪd)
—n
1.	a waterfall or series of waterfalls over rocks
2.	something resembling this, such as folds of lace
3.	a.  a consecutive sequence of chemical or physical processes
	b.  (as modifier): cascade liquefaction
4.	a.  a series of stages in the processing chain of an electrical signal where each operates the next in turn
	b.  (as modifier): a cascade amplifier
5.	the cumulative process responsible for the formation of an electrical discharge, cosmic-ray shower, or Geiger counter avalanche in a gas
6.	the sequence of spontaneous decays by an excited atom or ion
—vb
7.	(intr) to flow or fall in or like a cascade
[C17: from French, from Italian cascata, from cascare to fall, ultimately from Latin cadere to fall]

cascade

cascade cas·cade (kā-skād')
n.
A succession of actions, processes, or operations, as of a physiological process.

cascade   (kās-kād')  Pronunciation Key  A series of chemical or physiological processes that occur in successive stages, each of which is dependent on the preceding one, to produce a culminating effect. The steps involved in the clotting of blood occur as a cascade.

cascade

n.
1. A huge volume of spurious error-message output produced by a compiler with poor error recovery. Too frequently, one trivial syntax error (such as a missing `)' or `}') throws the parser out of synch so that much of the remaining program text is interpreted as garbaged or ill-formed.
2. A chain of Usenet followups, each adding some trivial variation or riposte to the text of the previous one, all of which is reproduced in the new message; an include war in which the object is to create a sort of communal graffito.

cascade definition

1. A huge volume of spurious error-messages output by a compiler with poor error recovery. Too frequently, one trivial syntax error (such as a missing ")" or "}") throws the parser out of synch so that much of the remaining program text, whether correct or not, is interpreted as garbaged or ill-formed.
2. A chain of Usenet followups, each adding some trivial variation or riposte to the text of the previous one, all of which is reproduced in the new message; an include war in which the object is to create a sort of communal graffito.
3. A collection of interconneced networking devices, typically hubs, that allows those devices to act together as a logical repeater.
[Jargon File]
(1997-07-17)

cascade

waterfall, especially a series of small falls, consisting of water descending over rocks or boulders. It may be natural or it may be artificial. The cascade has often been used as a feature of formal gardens.

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