Related Searches
Nearby Words
Synonyms
Related Questions
What is a cataract?
What is cataract?

cataract

 [kat-uh-rakt]   Example Sentences Origin

cat·a·ract

   [kat-uh-rakt]
noun
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.
a.
an abnormality of the eye, characterized by opacity of the lens.
b.
the opaque area.
Fixes Your Cataract www.boxerwachler.com Natural Lens Replacement fixes your cataracts.
Ad
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English cataracte < Latin catar(r)acta < Greek katarráktēs waterfall, floodgate, portcullis (noun), downrushing (adj.), akin to katarássein to dash down, equivalent to kat- cata- + arássein to smite

Related forms
cat·a·rac·tal, cat·a·rac·tous, adjective
cat·a·ract·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To cataract

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Cataract is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Example Sentences
  • Cataract removal is a procedure to remove a clouded lens from the eye.
  • The only way to treat a cataract that has become completely opaque is to remove the faulty lens.
  • One section requires working your way up a waterfall, and another leads behind a cataract.
EXPAND
Collins
World English Dictionary
cataract (ˈkætəˌrækt)
 
—n
1.  a large waterfall or rapids
2.  a deluge; downpour
3.  pathol
 a.  partial or total opacity of the crystalline lens of the eye
 b.  the opaque area
 
[C15: from Latin catarracta, from Greek katarrhaktēs, from katarassein to dash down, from arassein to strike]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

cataract
1430, from L. cataracta "waterfall," from Gk. katarhaktes "swooping, rushing down," from kata "down" + arhattein "to strike hard." Its alternative sense in L. of "portcullis" was probably passed through M.Fr. to form the Eng. meaning "eye disease" (1547), on the notion of "obstruction."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

cataract cat·a·ract (kāt'ə-rākt')
n.
Opacity of the lens or capsule of the eye, causing impairment of vision or blindness.

cat'a·rac'tous (-rāk'təs) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
cataract   (kāt'ə-rākt')  Pronunciation Key 

  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.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
cataract [(kat-uh-rakt)]

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.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Images for cataract
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriThesaurus
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT
How many words do you know? FIND OUT