cataract
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A large waterfall.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kateraktSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkætɚækt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A large waterfall; violent rush of water over a precipice
A (large) waterfall, specifically one flowing over the edge of a cliff.
An eye disease that involves the clouding or opacification of the natural lens of the eye
by extensionophthalmologypathology
A clouding of the lens in the eye leading to a decrease in vision.
by extension
A flood of water; specifically, steep rapids in a river.
figurative
An overwhelming downpour or rush; a flood.
verb
intransitive
Of a river, etc.: to fall in the form of a waterfall.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A large waterfall; violent rush of water over a precipice
Used this way, cataract is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It comes across as direct, sometimes bluntly so.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Blunt and forceful
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A tributary of the Grand Canyon.
Eye surgery that involves removing all or part of the lens and replacing it with an intraocular lens implant.
A cataract that affects the lens cortex.
A cataract that affects the nucleus of the lens.
A cataract in the rear of the lens capsule.
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.