I. (ˌ)kas-ˈkād noun
Etymology: French, from Italian cascata, from cascare to fall, from Vulgar Latin * casicare, from Latin casus fall
Date: 1641
1. : a steep usually small fall of water ; especially : one of a series
2.
a. : something arranged or occurring in a series or in a succession of stages so that each stage derives from or acts upon the product of the preceding
blood clotting involves a biochemical cascade
b. : a fall of material (as lace) that hangs in a zigzag line
3. : something falling or rushing forth in quantity
a cascade of sound
a cascade of events
II. verb
( cas·cad·ed ; cas·cad·ing )
Date: 1702
intransitive verb
: to fall, pour, or rush in or as if in a cascade
transitive verb
1. : to cause to fall like a cascade
2. : to connect in a cascade arrangement