cataract

CEFRC1

/ˈkætəɹækt/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A cloudy area in the eye that affects sight.

  2. 02

    noun

    A large waterfall.

Examples

  • Almost all patients require corrective eyewear after cataract surgery.

  • Six months ago I had an operation for the cataract in my right eye.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • /ˈkætəˌɹæk(t)/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A flood of water; specifically, steep rapids in a river.

  2. An overwhelming downpour or rush; a flood.

  3. A (large) waterfall, specifically one flowing over the edge of a cliff.

More examples

In context

  • The WHO says cataract surgery could prevent 65 million people from becoming blind.

  • The cataracts on the Nile helped to compartment Upper Egypt.

  • His cataract of eloquence

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The elderly patient needed surgery to remove a cloudy blank from his left eye.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

PIE word *ḱóm The noun is derived from cataracts (noun (plural only)), from Late Middle English cataract, cataracta, cateract, cateracte (“floodgate of heaven”), from Old French cataracte (modern French cataracte), and from its etymon Latin cataracta (“floodgate; waterfall”), from Ancient Greek καταρ(ρ)άκτης (katar(rh)áktēs, “(noun) waterfall; (adjective) rushing downwards”), from καταρ(ρ)ᾱ́σσω (katar(rh)ā́ssō, “to pour down; to rush downwards”) + -της (-tēs, suffix forming nouns denoting a state of being). Καταρ(ρ)ᾱ́σσω (Katar(rh)ā́ssō) is derived either: * from κᾰτᾰ- (kătă-, prefix meaning ‘downwards’) + ἀρᾰ́σσω (arắssō, “to dash to pieces; to strike”) (further etymology unknown, possibly...