| 1. | any object made by human beings, esp. with a view to subsequent use. |
| 2. | a handmade object, as a tool, or the remains of one, as a shard of pottery, characteristic of an earlier time or cultural stage, esp. such an object found at an archaeological excavation. |
| 3. | any mass-produced, usually inexpensive object reflecting contemporary society or popular culture: artifacts of the pop rock generation. |
| 4. | a substance or structure not naturally present in the matter being observed but formed by artificial means, as during preparation of a microscope slide. |
| 5. | a spurious observation or result arising from preparatory or investigative procedures. |
| 6. | any feature that is not naturally present but is a product of an extrinsic agent, method, or the like: statistical artifacts that make the inflation rate seem greater than it is. |
ar·te·fact (är'tə-fākt') n. Variant of artifact. |
artefact ar·te·fact (är'tə-fākt')
n.
Variant of artifact.
artifact ar·ti·fact or ar·te·fact (är'tə-fākt')
n.
A structure or substance not normally present but produced by an external agent or action, such as a structure seen in a microscopic specimen after fixation that is not present in the living tissue.
A skin lesion produced or perpetuated by self-inflicted action.