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cat·a·ract 
Audio Help [kat-uh-rakt] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
Audio Help [kat-uh-rakt] Pronunciation Key –noun
| 1. | a descent of water over a steep surface; a waterfall, esp. one of considerable size. |
| 2. | any furious rush or downpour of water; deluge. |
| 3. | Ophthalmology.
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[Origin: 1350–1400; ME cataracte < L catar(r)acta < Gk katarráktés waterfall, floodgate, portcullis (n.), downrushing (adj.), akin to katarássein to dash down, equiv. 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 (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
cataract
To learn more about cataract visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| cat·a·ract
Audio Help (kāt'ə-rākt') Pronunciation Key
n.
[Middle English cataracte, from Old French, from Latin cataracta, from Greek katarraktēs, kataraktēs, downrush, waterfall, portcullis, probably from katarassein, to dash down (kat-, kata-, cata- + arassein, to strike). Sense 3, from a comparison to a portcullis or other falling impediment or covering.] cat'a·rac'tous (-rāk'təs) adj. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
cataract
1430, from L. cataracta "waterfall," from Gk. katarhaktes "swooping, rushing down," from kata "down" + arhattein "to strike hard." Its alternate 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, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| cataract | |
noun | |
| 1. | an eye disease that involves the clouding or opacification of the natural lens of the eye |
| 2. | a large waterfall; violent rush of water over a precipice |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
cataract [ˈkӕtərӕkt] noun
a clouding of the lens of the eye causing difficulty in seeing
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
cataract
Audio Help (kāt'ə-rākt') Pronunciation Key
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| The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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.
[Chapter:] Medicine and Health
| The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
Cataract
Cat"a*ract\, n. [L. cataracta, catarracles, a waterfall, Gr. ?, ?, fr. ? to break down; in the passive, to fall or rush down (of tumors) to burst; kata` down + ? to break.]1. A great fall of water over a precipice; a large waterfall. 2. (Surg.) An opacity of the crystalline lens, or of its capsule, which prevents the passage of the rays of light and impairs or destroys the sight. 3. (Mach.) A kind of hydraulic brake for regulating the action of pumping engines and other machines; -- sometimes called dashpot.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
cataract
cataract was Word of the Day on January 18, 2001.
| Dictionary.com Word of the Day |
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