Definition of "cascade" []

• A waterfall or a series of small waterfalls over steep rocks. (noun)
• Something, such as lace, thought to resemble a waterfall or series of small waterfalls, especially an arrangement or fall of material. (noun)
• A succession of stages, processes, operations, or units. (noun)
• Electronics A series of components or networks, the output of each of which serves as the input for the next. (noun)
• A chemical or physiological process that occurs in successive stages, each of which is dependent on the preceding one, and often producing a cumulative effect: an enzymatic cascade. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "In a 2005 paper, Mr. Frank said the virtual disappearance of cod and other large species, such as haddock, flounder and hake, due to overfishing led to what he calls a cascade effect."
• "Among them one is the biggest -- a 1 billion euro investment in cascade of Divol."
• "The Opera browser, being a true MDI interface, lets you tile as many tabs as you want, vertically or horizontally (or in cascade)."