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Cascade vs Drain - What's the difference?

cascade | drain | Related terms |

In intransitive terms the difference between cascade and drain

is that cascade is to fall as a waterfall or series of small waterfalls while drain is to flow gradually.

In transitive terms the difference between cascade and drain

is that cascade is to arrange in a stepped series like a waterfall while drain is to draw off by degrees; to cause to flow gradually out or off; hence, to exhaust.

As a proper noun Cascade

is an administrative district in Seychelles.

cascade

English

(Webster 1913)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A waterfall or series of small waterfalls.
  • * Cowper
    • Now murm'ring soft, now roaring in cascade .
  • * Longfellow
    • The silver brook pours the white cascade .
  • (figuratively) A stream or sequence of a thing or things occurring as if falling like a cascade.
    • The rise in serotonin levels sets off a cascade of chemical events'' — Richard M. Restak, ''The Secret Life of the Brain , Joseph Henry Press, 2001
  • A series of electrical (or other types of) components, the output of any one being connected to the input of the next; See also daisy chain
  • (juggling) A pattern typically performed with an odd number of props, where each prop is caught by the opposite hand.
  • (Internet) A sequence of absurd short messages posted to a newsgroup by different authors, each one responding to the most recent message and quoting the entire sequence to that point (with ever-increasing indentation).
  • * 1993 , "e.j.barker", Disassociation'' (on Internet newsgroup ''alt.slack )
    • Don't you hate cascades ? I hate cascades!
  • * 1999 , "Anonymous", CYBERLIAR SCAVENGER HUNT 1999'' (on Internet newsgroup ''alt.test )
    • Spark a usenet cascade of no less than 300 replies.
  • * 2004 , "swt", ARRR!'' (on Internet newsgroup ''alt.religion.kibology )
    • Anyway. I didn't mean to say that everyone who posts URLs is bad and wrong and should lose their breathing privileges. Just that I was getting weary of look-at-this-link posts, sort of like some people get sick of cascades .

    Derived terms

    * cascadable * (juggling) reverse cascade, French cascade

    Verb

    (cascad)
  • To fall as a waterfall or series of small waterfalls.
  • To arrange in a stepped series like a waterfall.
  • * 2001 , Greg M Perry, Sams teach yourself Microsoft Windows XP in 24 hours
    • No matter how you tile or cascade the windows, each window's Minimize, Maximize, and Restore buttons work as usual.
  • To occur as a causal sequence.
  • (archaic, slang) To vomit.

    • Anagrams

    * ----

    drain

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A conduit allowing liquid to flow out of an otherwise contained volume.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-03, volume=101, issue=2, page=114, magazine=(American Scientist)
    • , author=Frank Fish, George Lauder , title= Not Just Going with the Flow , passage=An extreme version of vorticity is a vortex . The vortex is a spinning, cyclonic mass of fluid, which can be observed in the rotation of water going down a drain , as well as in smoke rings, tornados and hurricanes.}}
  • An access point or conduit for rainwater that drains directly downstream in a (drainage) basin without going through sewers or water treatment in order to prevent or belay floods.
  • Something consuming resources and providing nothing in return.
  • (label) An act of urination.
  • (label) The name of one terminal of a field effect transistor (FET).

    • Derived terms

    * circle the drain * down the drain * drain fly

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To lose liquid.
    • The clogged sink drained slowly.
  • To flow gradually.
    • The water of low ground drains off.
  • (ergative) To cause liquid to flow out of.
    • Please drain the sink. It's full of dirty water.
  • (ergative) To convert a perennially wet place into a dry one.
    • They had to drain the swampy land before the parking lot could be built.
  • To deplete of energy or resources.
    • The stress of this job is really draining me.
  • To draw off by degrees; to cause to flow gradually out or off; hence, to exhaust.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • Fountains drain the water from the ground adjacent.
  • * Motley
    • But it was not alone that he drained their treasure and hampered their industry.
  • (obsolete) To filter.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • Salt water, drained through twenty vessels of earth, hath become fresh.
  • (pinball) To fall off the bottom of the playfield.
  • * 1990 , Steven A. Schwartz, Compute's Nintendo Secrets
    • When a ball finally drains , it's gulped down by a giant gator beneath the set of flippers.

    Derived terms

    * drainage * drain the lizard (vulgar)

    Anagrams

    *