noun
cascade
kas-KAYD
noun
1
A waterfall, or a series of small waterfalls tumbling down in stages.
"A gentle cascade fell over the mossy rocks behind the cabin."
"Tourists photographed the cascade as it dropped through the gorge."
2
A rapid chain of events, where each one triggers the next.
"One resignation triggered a cascade of others across the department."
verb
1
To flow or fall in stages, like a waterfall; or to happen as a chain reaction.
"Water cascaded down the terraced fountain."
"The failure in one server cascaded through the whole network."
How to Use Cascade
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething falling or spreading in stages, one part triggering the next, like water down a series of steps.
Common pairings
a cascade of events
cascade down
cascading effect
Word Forms
cascaded past tense, cascades plural, cascades singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “cascade”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
A gentle _____ fell over the mossy rocks behind the cabin.
Etymology
From French cascade, borrowed from Italian cascata ("a fall"), from cascare, "to fall" — ultimately from Latin cadere.