cascade

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitive

   To flow or fall in a series of stages, like water over rocks.

   Grammar: No object; often used with down or over.

   Patterns

   • cascade down something
   • cascade over something
   • cascade into something

   Water cascaded down the cliff.

   Her hair cascaded over her shoulders.

   The river cascades into a deep pool.

2. 2verbintransitivefigurative

   To spread quickly through a system in a chain of steps.

   Grammar: No object; often used with through or across.

   Patterns

   • cascade through something
   • cascade across something
   • cascade from something

   The error cascaded through the network within minutes.

   News of the scandal cascaded across social media.

   Failures can cascade from one part of the system to another.

3. 3nouncountable

   A small waterfall, or a mass of something falling in stages.

   Grammar: Countable: a cascade, several cascades.

   Patterns

   • a cascade of something
   • a cascade of water

   We stopped to photograph the cascade.

   A cascade of sparks flew from the fire.

   The dress was trimmed with a cascade of lace.

Word forms

Common combinations

cascade down

Rainwater cascaded down the windows.

cascade through

The virus cascaded through the population.

a cascade of

A cascade of events followed the decision.

cascade effect

The power cut had a cascade effect on the whole city.

cascade style sheets

Web pages use cascade style sheets for layout.

Synonyms and how they differ

tumble

Suggests a less ordered fall; cascade often implies a graceful or step-by-step flow.

spread

More general; cascade emphasizes a chain reaction through a system.

Opposites

Word family

cascading adjective

Falling in stages, as in 'cascading water'.

cascade noun

A waterfall or a falling mass.

Commonly confused: cascade or cascaded?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “cascade”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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