n. & v.
n. 1 a small waterfall, esp. forming one in a series or part of a large broken waterfall. 2 a succession of electrical devices or stages in a process. 3 a quantity of material etc. draped in descending folds. 4 a process of disseminating information from senior to junior levels in an organization.
v.intr. fall in or like a cascade.
[ F f. It. cascata f. cascare to fall ult. f. L casus: see CASE(1) ]