cascade shower

noun

Definition of cascade shower

: a cosmic-ray shower in which a high-energy electron produces one or more photons that convert into electrons and positrons by pair production, these secondary electrons producing the same effect as the primary, the shower thus building up until the level of energy becomes so low that photon emission cannot occur

There's more!

Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
Advanced search features
Ad free!

First Known Use of cascade shower

1938

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up cascade shower? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

adulation

play

excessive admiration or flattery

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Cascade fir

Cascade Range

cascade shower

cascade transformer

Cascadian

Test Your Vocabulary

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

Which is the correct spelling?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games