Definition

1. Noun:
   • A large, powerful waterfall: A cataract is a large waterfall, typically one with a great volume of water falling over a steep precipice or series of rocks.
   • An eye disease: In medicine, a cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye, leading to a decrease in vision.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Waterfall):
  • The boat approached the thunderous cataract with caution.
  • Niagara Falls is one of the most famous cataracts in the world.
• Noun (Eye disease):
  • The surgeon removed the cataract and restored her sight.
  • Cataracts often develop slowly and can cause blurry vision.

Advanced Usage

• "Cataractous" (Adjective): Pertaining to or affected by a cataract (in the medical sense).
  • The ophthalmologist diagnosed a cataractous change in the lens.

Variants and Related Words

• Cataract surgery (Compound Noun): The surgical procedure to remove the clouded lens of the eye.
  • Modern cataract surgery is a quick and highly effective procedure.

Synonyms

• Waterfall: cascade, falls, torrent.
• Eye condition: opacity (of the lens).

Notes on Different Meanings

The two primary meanings of "cataract" are distinct. The original meaning relates to water ("a down-rushing"), which later extended metaphorically in medicine to describe the clouding of the eye's lens, as if a "waterfall" or veil had descended over one's sight. Context always clarifies which meaning is intended.

Noun

1. a large waterfall; violent rush of water over a precipice
2. an eye disease that involves the clouding or opacification of the natural lens of the eye