defect

[ noun dee-fekt, dih-fekt; verb dih-fekt ]

noun

1. a shortcoming, fault, or imperfection: a defect in a machine.

   a defect in an argument;

   a defect in a machine.

2. lack or want, especially of something essential to perfection or completeness; deficiency: a defect of action.

   a defect of common sense

   a defect of action.

3. Also called crystal defect, Crystallography. a discontinuity in the lattice of a crystal caused by missing or extra atoms or ions, or by dislocations.

verb (used without object)

1. to desert a cause, country, etc., especially in order to adopt another (often followed by from or to ):

   He defected from the U.S.S.R. to the West.

defect

noun

1. a lack of something necessary for completeness or perfection; shortcoming; deficiency
2. an imperfection, failing, or blemish
3. crystallog a local deviation from regularity in the crystal lattice of a solid See also point defect dislocation

verb

1. intr to desert one's country, cause, allegiance, etc, esp in order to join the opposing forces

Derived Forms

• deˈfector, noun

Other Words From

• de·fect·i·ble adjective
• de·fect·i·bil·i·ty [dih-fek-t, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], noun
• de·fect·less adjective
• non·de·fect·ing adjective
• pre·de·fect noun
• re·de·fect verb (used without object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of defect¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin dēfectus “failure, weakness,” equivalent to dēfec-, variant stem of dēficere “to run short, fail, weaken” ( deficient ) + -tus suffix of verb action

Word History and Origins

Origin of defect¹

C15: from Latin dēfectus, from dēficere to forsake, fail; see deficient

Synonym Study

Defect, blemish, flaw refer to faults that detract from perfection. Defect is the general word for any kind of shortcoming or imperfection, whether literal or figurative: a defect in eyesight, in a plan. A blemish is usually a defect on a surface, which mars the appearance: a blemish on her cheek. Flaw is applied to a defect in quality, caused by imperfect structure (as in a diamond) or brought about during manufacture (as in texture of cloth, in clearness of glass, etc.).

Example Sentences

The senior coroner for North West Wales, Kate Robertson, said translated notes from the surgeon, Dr Ramazan Azar, described how there had been a 3-4mm "defect" in the aorta artery when the operation began, leading to bleeding.

From BBC

Thousands of ballots are expected to be tossed in the upcoming election for this technical defect.

From Slate

Why should there be a pathway back to the establishment for those golfers who disrupted the sport’s eco-system and took millions to defect to the upstarts?

From BBC

One of the dangers may come as a surprise to homeowners, as even relatively newer homes may have this defect.

From Los Angeles Times

Recent DNA analysis of the remains revealed that the child died when he was about one year and four months old, probably of a congenital defect called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition which makes the walls of one of the ventricles in the heart thicken until they can no longer pump enough blood to keep a body alive.

From Salon

Related Words

• abandon
• abscond
• depart
• desert
• pull out
• quit
• reject
• renounce
• revolt
• withdraw