LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

cataracta

cataracta f (genitive cataractae)
Classical[ka.taˈrak.ta]Ecclesiastical[ka.taˈrak.ta]

Meaning

  1. femininewaterfall
  2. femininedrawbridge, portcullis

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecataractacataractae
genitivecataractaecataractārum
dativecataractaecataractīs
accusativecataractamcataractās
ablativecataractācataractīs
vocativecataractacataractae

cătăracta (also cătarracta), ae, f. (cătarractes, ae, m., Plin. and Sol.;
I. v. the foll.), = ὁ καταρράκτης or καταράκτης.
I. Lit., a waterfall, in gen.; the waterfalls of the Euphrates, Plin. 5, 24, 20, § 85.—Hence,
B. Meton. and κατʼ ἐξοχήυ, the celebrated fall of the Nile on the southern borders of Egypt, the Cataract: novissimo catarracte, Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 54.—Acc. catarracten, Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 59; Sol. 32: pervenit ad cataractam, Vitr. 8, 2, 6.—Plur. fem.: cataractae, nobilis insigni spectaculo locus, Sen. Q. N. 4, 2, 4: praecipites cataractae, Luc. 10, 317; Amm. 22, 15, 9.—
II. In milit. lang., a drawbridge, portcullis, Veg. Mil. 4, 4; Liv. 27, 28, 10 and 11.—
III. A water-sluice, floodgate, Plin. Ep. 10, 61 (69), 4; Rutil. 1, 481 Zumpt.—
IV. A waterbird (that pounces down quickly), Plin. 10, 44, 61, § 126.

Origins

From Ancient Greek καταρράκτης (katarrháktēs), from καταράσσω (katarássō, “pour down”).

Descendants
  • Italiancateratta
  • Italiancataratta
  • Catalancataracta
  • Frenchcataracte
  • GermanKatarakt
  • Englishcataractfrom Middle English cataract
  • Portuguesecatarata
  • Spanishcatarata
  • Afrikaanskatarakfrom Middle Dutch cataracte
  • Indonesiankatarakfrom Middle Dutch cataracte

In English words that came into English from cataracta

  • cataractcataracta

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesCataractaCataracta (καταρράκτης). 1. A portcullis, so called because it fell with great force and a loud noise. This contrivance for guarding against the surpr…

Quick answers

What does cataracta mean in Latin?
cataracta, a noun, means “waterfall; drawbridge, portcullis”.
What is the genitive of cataracta?
The genitive singular is cataractae. cataracta is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce cataracta?
In classical Latin, [ka.taˈrak.ta]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ka.taˈrak.ta].