Cataract
[KAD-ə-rakt]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, 15th century
1.
A large waterfall; a sudden rush of water; a downpour.
2.
A medical condition in which the lens of the eye becomes progressively opaque, resulting in blurred vision.
Examples of Cataract in a sentence
"We were pounded by a cataract of rain so intense, we couldn’t see out the window."
"After my uncle recovered from cataract surgery, his eyesight was 20/20."
About Cataract
“Cataract” comes from the Latin “cataracta,” meaning both “waterfall” and “floodgate,” as well as “portcullis.”
Did you Know?
The first use of “cataract” did not describe a river of rushing water, but rather a descending divider — likely a manufactured gate, such as a portcullis. This preceded the modern use of “cataract” as an eye condition, which appeared in the mid-16th century. The image of a descending gate was effective in conveying the development of a cataract on the lens of the eye, which increasingly divides a person from a clear picture of what is in front of them.
