n. [ F. cascade, fr. It. cascata, fr. cascare to fall. ] A fall of water over a precipice, as in a river or brook; a waterfall less than a cataract. [ 1913 Webster ]

The silver brook . . . pours the white cascade. Longjellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now murm'ring soft, now roaring in cascade. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To fall in a cascade. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To vomit. [ Slang ] Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Physics) A method of attaining successively lower temperatures by utilizing the cooling effect of the expansion of one gas in condensing another less easily liquefiable, and so on. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Elec.) A system or method of connecting and operating two induction motors so that the primary circuit of one is connected to the secondary circuit of the other, the primary circuit of the latter being connected to the source of supply; also, a system of electric traction in which motors so connected are employed. The cascade system is also called
tandem system, or
concatenated system; the connection a
cascade connection,
tandem connection, or
concatenated connection, or
a concatenation; and the control of the motors so obtained a
tandem control, or
concatenation control. In the cascade system of traction the cascade connection is used for starting and for low speeds up to half speed. For full speed the short-circuited motor is cut loose from the other motor and is either left idle or (commonly) connected direct to the line. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]