flaw

¹

[ flaw ]

noun

1. a feature that mars the perfection of something; defect; fault:

   beauty without flaw; the flaws in our plan.

   Synonyms: spot, blot, imperfection

2. a defect impairing legal soundness or validity.
3. a crack, break, breach, or rent.

   Synonyms: rift, fissure

verb (used with object)

1. to produce a flaw in.

verb (used without object)

1. to contract a flaw; become cracked or defective.

flaw

²

[ flaw ]

noun

1. Also called windflaw. a sudden, usually brief windstorm or gust of wind.
2. a short spell of rough weather.
3. Obsolete. a burst of feeling, fury, etc.

flaw

¹

/ flɔː /

noun

1. 1. a sudden short gust of wind; squall
   2. a spell of bad, esp windy, weather
2. obsolete.
   an outburst of strong feeling

flaw

²

/ flɔː /

noun

1. an imperfection, defect, or blemish
2. a crack, breach, or rift
3. law an invalidating fault or defect in a document or proceeding

verb

1. to make or become blemished, defective, or imperfect

Derived Forms

• ˈflawy, adjective
• ˈflawlessness, noun
• ˈflawlessly, adverb
• ˈflawless, adjective

Other Words From

• flawless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flaw¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English flage, flaw(e), perhaps from Old Norse flaga “sliver, flake”

Origin of flaw²

First recorded in 1475–85, flaw is from the Old Norse word flaga attack, squall

Word History and Origins

Origin of flaw¹

C16: of Scandinavian origin; related to Norwegian flaga squall, gust, Middle Dutch vlāghe

Origin of flaw²

C14: probably from Old Norse flaga stone slab; related to Swedish flaga chip, flake, flaw

Synonym Study

See defect.

Example Sentences

Arguably a flaw in the movie that it never fully acknowledges how the conceit might have encouraged the gangsters’ showboating.

From New York Times

England were flawed, allowed back into the game by New Zealand's drops – one of the six by Phillips, another off his bowling - before he pulled off his moment of magic.

From BBC

Initially he only had surnames and initials, but he found a flaw in the Army’s holiday-booking system that allowed him to look up and photograph soldiers’ first names too.

From BBC

Others said the Stanford study was flawed, partly because it was small and recruited through Facebook—a biased sample—and criticized the group for posting it online without peer review.

From Science Magazine

The proposal was timed to the release of an audit last week that found flaws in LAHSA’s handling of contract money from Measure H, the quarter-cent homelessness sales tax approved by voters in 2017.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blemish
• bug
• defect
• failing
• fault
• foible
• glitch
• pitfall
• weakness