cataract
noun
Did you know?
Cataract dates to the 14th century and comes from the Latin word cataracta, meaning "portcullis." The Latin pertains to the ocular cataract, probably because it obstructs one's vision much like the portcullis's heavy iron grating obstructs passage into a fortress or castle. Cataracta has another meaning, however—"waterfall"—and that meaning gave English the water-related meanings that came in later centuries. The connection between the two Latin meanings can be seen in katarassein, the Greek source of cataracta. It means "to dash down," an action we see in both the slamming portcullis and the cascading waterfall.
Examples of cataract in a Sentence
Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024
Drucker cites the success of Alcon Laboratories co-founder Bill Conner, who recognized that eye surgeons had come to dread cutting a ligament during the systemized process of cataract operations.
—Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
Today, Kilimanjaro Centre reaches 14 African countries where medical facility partners annually perform thousands of cataract surgeries.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile the animals, some of whom were once deployed in America’s foreign wars, are helping break new ground with research on kidney stones, cataracts, weight issues and all the other indignities faced by aging veterans everywhere.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
The sea lion started refusing food because of eye pain, and at the time of the inspection the cataract surgery had still not been scheduled, the report said, according to NBC South Florida.
—Antonio Planas, NBC News, 7 Mar. 2024
His family friendly videos typically feature stunts and acts of philanthropy, such as paying for cataract surgeries to help 1,000 blind people see again.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024
Topping it off, smoking can weaken bones, destroy the health of gums and cause teeth loss, increase the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, promote inflammation, decrease immune function, and contribute to Type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 8 Feb. 2024
An eye exam also will identify glaucoma or cataracts, which can be treated.
—Matthew Solan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cataract.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Latin cataracta waterfall, portcullis, from Greek kataraktēs, from katarassein to dash down, from kata- + arassein to strike, dash
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Podcast
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!
Dictionary Entries Near cataract
Cite this Entry
“Cataract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cataract. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
cataract
noun
Medical Definition
cataract
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on cataract
Nglish: Translation of cataract for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of cataract for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cataract
Share