Main Entry: ¹cas·cade

Pronunciation: \(ˌ)kas-ˈkād\

Function: 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>