cataract
gb/kˈætɚækt/ us/kˈætɚækt/
B2
English
~ 9200
szürkehályog, zuhatag, gát
NOUN
B2
TECHNICAL
1
szürkehályog
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] has a cataract in [someone’s] [eye]
Her doctor explained that the cloudy vision in her right eye was caused by a cataract.
Az orvosa elmagyarázta, hogy a jobb szemének homályos látását szürkehályog okozta.
Modern cataract surgery usually takes less than an hour and greatly improves vision.
A korszerű szürkehályog-műtét általában kevesebb mint egy óráig tart, és jelentősen javítja a látást.
People with diabetes are at higher risk of developing cataracts at a younger age.
He waited too long to treat the cataract, and his vision became severely impaired.
The clinic offers free screenings to detect cataracts and other common eye conditions.
Learner examples
My grandfather had a cataract in his left eye.
A nagyapám bal szemében szürkehályog volt.
After cataract surgery, my mother can see clearly again.
A szürkehályog-műtét után anyám újra tisztán lát.
Older people often get cataracts as they age.
The doctor said I am starting to develop a small cataract.
A cataract can make lights look very bright and blurry.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the ‘waterfall’ meaning of cataract. In medical and everyday health contexts, especially with words like ‘surgery’, ‘vision’, or ‘eye’, ‘cataract’ almost always refers to the eye condition.
Meaning
Clouding of the eye’s lens
Collocations
cataract surgery
|develop cataracts
|remove a cataract
|age-related cataracts
|congenital cataracts
|cataract in the left eye
Synonyms
lens opacity (A more technical medical term; mainly used in professional or scientific writing.)
Antonyms
clear lens (Describes an eye lens that is transparent and healthy, without clouding.)
Themes
medicine
|health
|aging
|body
Definition
A disease of the eye where the clear part inside the eye becomes cloudy and makes it hard to see.
A medical condition in which the normally clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy, often causing blurred vision or blindness if left untreated.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
zuhatag
C1
Usage pattern:
a cataract on the [river]
Mist rose from the cataract as thousands of tons of water crashed into the gorge below.
Pára szállt fel a zuhatagból, ahogy több ezer tonna víz zúdult az alatta húzódó szurdokba.
Explorers struggled to navigate the series of cataracts that blocked their progress up the river.
A felfedezők nehezen haladtak felfelé a folyón, mert zuhatagok sora állta útjukat.
From the viewpoint you can see the entire cataract framed by dark volcanic rock.
The roar of the cataract drowned out their voices as they tried to talk.
Ancient traders had to unload their boats and carry goods around the cataracts of the Nile.
Learner examples
We stood and watched the huge cataract for a long time.
Sokáig álltunk, és a hatalmas zuhatagot néztük.
A cataract is much bigger and louder than a small waterfall.
A zuhatag sokkal nagyobb és hangosabb, mint egy kis vízesés.
The river suddenly drops and forms a great cataract.
They took photos of the wide cataract in the mountains.
Boats cannot pass the cataract because the water falls too fast.
Common mistake:
Learners may think ‘cataract’ always means ‘waterfall’. In modern English, ‘waterfall’ is the normal word; ‘cataract’ is used mostly in literary or descriptive writing, and often for very large, dramatic waterfalls.
Meaning
Very large, powerful waterfall
Collocations
thundering cataract
|mighty cataract
|the cataracts of the Nile
|a roaring cataract
|a great cataract
|river cataracts
Synonyms
waterfall (More common and general word; ‘cataract’ suggests something larger and more dramatic, and is more literary.)
Antonyms
calm stream (Describes water that flows gently and quietly, the opposite of a loud, crashing cataract.)
Themes
nature
|geography
|travel
Definition
A very big and strong waterfall with a lot of water falling down.
A very large and powerful waterfall, often with a high drop and a great volume of water.
NOUN
C2
LITERARY
3
zuhatag
C1
Usage pattern:
a cataract of [plural noun]
The storm broke in cataracts of rain that hammered on the metal roof.
A vihar hirtelen olyan esőzuhataggal tört ki, hogy az vadul verte a fémtetőt.
She collapsed into a chair, a cataract of tears streaming down her face.
Roskadva esett egy székbe, és könnyzuhatag ömlött végig az arcán.
The politician unleashed a cataract of words, barely pausing to take a breath.
Thunder rolled overhead as cataracts of water poured from the dark sky.
A cataract of applause erupted the moment the conductor lowered his baton.
Learner examples
Suddenly a cataract of rain fell from the sky.
Hirtelen esőzuhatag zúdult le az égből.
He cried so hard that a cataract of tears ran down his cheeks.
Úgy sírt, hogy könnyzuhatag folyt végig az arcán.
The machine made a cataract of loud sounds all at once.
The speaker sent out a cataract of angry words.
We ran for cover when a cataract of water came from the broken pipe.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this meaning in everyday conversation for heavy rain. In modern spoken English, people usually say ‘a heavy downpour’ or ‘it’s pouring’; ‘cataract’ in this sense is mostly found in literary or very descriptive writing.
Meaning
Sudden, very heavy downpour
Collocations
cataracts of rain
|a cataract of tears
|a cataract of words
|cataracts of sound
|cataracts of water
Synonyms
downpour (Common everyday word for very heavy rain; ‘cataract’ is more dramatic and literary.)
Antonyms
drizzle (Describes light, gentle rain, which contrasts with the intensity of a cataract of rain.)
Themes
weather
|literature
|nature
Definition
A very strong and heavy fall of rain or many things coming down at once.
A sudden, very heavy fall or outpouring of rain, water, or similar things, often used figuratively.
NOUN
C2
ARCHAIC
4
gát
B1
Usage pattern:
a cataract across the [river]
The old text describes a cataract built to hold back the spring floods.
A régi szöveg egy, a tavaszi áradások visszatartására épített gátat ír le.
Engineers of the time erected a cataract and series of locks to make the river navigable.
A kor mérnökei egy gátat és zsilipsort emeltek, hogy a folyó hajózható legyen.
Only by raising the cataract could the boats continue their journey upstream.
The chronicles mention a cataract that diverted water into the city’s moat.
Farmers blamed the new cataract for flooding their fields each winter.
Learner examples
In this old story, a cataract stops the river.
Ebben a régi történetben egy gát állja el a folyót.
The city built a cataract to control the water.
A város gátat épített a víz szabályozására.
Boats had to wait until the cataract was opened.
The old cataract changed the way the river moved.
This meaning of cataract is only found in very old books.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this meaning is still current. In modern English, ‘cataract’ is almost never used for a river barrier; words like ‘dam’ or ‘weir’ are used instead.
Meaning
Old term for river barrier
Collocations
stone cataract
|wooden cataract
|cataract across the river
|cataract and lock
Synonyms
weir (A modern technical term for a low dam across a river; ‘cataract’ in this sense is no longer used in contemporary English.)
Antonyms
open channel (Describes a river flowing without barriers, contrasting with a controlled flow at a cataract.)
Themes
history
|engineering
|technology
|nature
Definition
An old word for a wall or gate across a river that controls how the water moves.
An old term for a barrier, gate, or dam built across a river or waterway to control the flow of water.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cataract
IPA
GB/kˈætɚækt/
US/kˈætɚækt/
Syllables & stress
catar - act (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (catar)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cataract
- Plural: cataract, cataracts
Word family
Forms
cataracts
noun
Expressions
a cataract of tears
1/ə kˈætɚækt əv tˈɪɹz/
idiom
literary
Very heavy flow of tears
A way to describe someone crying very hard, with many tears coming at once.
Examples
- When she heard the news, she broke down in a cataract of tears.
- He turned away, hiding the cataract of tears that suddenly filled his eyes.
- The movie ended and the audience was left in a cataract of tears.
age-related cataracts
1/ˈeɪd͡ʒ ɹɪlˈeɪtɪd kˈætɚˌækts/
fixed phrase
technical
Cataracts caused by aging
Cataracts that people usually get as they grow older, not from an injury or from birth.
Examples
- Age-related cataracts are one of the leading causes of vision loss worldwide.
- Most age-related cataracts progress slowly over many years.
- Good eye care can delay, but not always prevent, age-related cataracts.
cataract surgery
1/kˈætɚækt sˈɚd͡ʒɚi/
fixed phrase
technical
Surgical operation to treat cataracts
An operation where a doctor removes the cloudy part of the eye and usually puts in an artificial lens so the person can see better.
Examples
- She is scheduled to have cataract surgery on her right eye next week.
- Thanks to modern cataract surgery, many older people regain almost normal vision.
- The clinic offers low-cost cataract surgery for uninsured patients.
cataracts of rain
1/kˈætɚˌækts əv ɹˈeɪn/
idiom
literary
Extremely heavy rainfall
Very strong and heavy rain falling in great sheets, much more than normal rain.
Examples
- We drove home through cataracts of rain that almost hid the road.
- Cataracts of rain battered the roof and shook the windows.
- They waited under the bridge until the cataracts of rain finally eased.
develop cataracts
1/dɪvˈɛləp kˈætɚˌækts/
fixed phrase
technical
Begin to have cataracts
To slowly get the eye problem called cataracts, usually over many years.
Examples
- People who smoke are more likely to develop cataracts earlier in life.
- Both of his parents developed cataracts in their sixties.
- If you develop cataracts, your doctor may suggest surgery when your vision gets worse.
remove a cataract
1/ɹimˈuv ə kˈætɚækt/
fixed phrase
technical
Take out a cataract by surgery
To take out the cloudy part of the eye in an operation so the person can see better.
Examples
- The surgeon was able to remove the cataract in less than thirty minutes.
- They removed a cataract from her left eye last year and will treat the right eye soon.
- Modern techniques allow doctors to remove a cataract through a very small cut.