late Middle English: from Latincataracta 'waterfall, floodgate', also 'portcullis' (medical sense 2 probably being a figurative use of this), fromGreek kataraktēs 'down-rushing', fromkatarassein, from kata- 'down' +arassein 'strike, smash'.
late Middle English: from Latincataracta 'waterfall, floodgate', also 'portcullis' (medical sense 2 probably being a figurative use of this), fromGreek kataraktēs 'down-rushing', fromkatarassein, from kata- 'down' +arassein 'strike, smash'.