20 results for: defect

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

de·fect

Audio Help [n. dee-fekt, di-fekt; v. di-fekt] Pronunciation Key

–noun

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

2.	lack or want, esp. of something essential to perfection or completeness; deficiency: a defect in hearing.

3.	Also called crystal defect, lattice 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)

4.	to desert a cause, country, etc., esp. in order to adopt another (often fol. by from or to): He defected from the U.S.S.R to the West.

[Origin: 1375–1425; late ME < L défectus failure, weakness, equiv. to défec- var. s. of déficere to run short, fail, weaken (see deficient) + -tus suffix of v. action

]

—Related forms

de·fect·i·ble, adjective

de·fect·i·bil·i·ty, noun

de·fect·less, adjective

—Synonyms 1. 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.).

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
defect

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

de·fect Audio Help (dē'fěkt', dĭ-fěkt') Pronunciation Key
n.

The lack of something necessary or desirable for completion or perfection; a deficiency: a visual defect.
An imperfection that causes inadequacy or failure; a shortcoming. See Synonyms at blemish.

intr.v. (dĭ-fěkt') de·fect·ed, de·fect·ing, de·fects

To disown allegiance to one's country and take up residence in another: a Soviet citizen who defected to Israel.
To abandon a position or association, often to join an opposing group: defected from the party over the issue of free trade.

[Middle English, from Latin dēfectus, failure, want, from past participle of dēficere, to desert, be wanting : dē-, de- + facere, to do; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.]

de·fec'tion n., de·fec'tor n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
defect (n.)

c.1420, from L. defectus "failure, revolt," from pp. of deficere "to fail, desert" (see deficient). Defection "falling away from a leader, party, or cause" is first recorded 1546, originally of faith. Defective was a euphemism for "mentally ill" from 1898 to c.1935.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

defect
noun
1.	an imperfection in a bodily system; "visual defects"; "this device permits detection of defects in the lungs"
2.	a failing or deficiency; "that interpretation is an unfortunate defect of our lack of information"
3.	an imperfection in an object or machine; "a flaw caused the crystal to shatter"; "if there are any defects you should send it back to the manufacturer"
4.	a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body); "a facial blemish" [syn: blemish]
verb
1.	desert (a cause, a country or an army), often in order to join the opposing cause, country, or army; "If soldiers deserted Hitler's army, they were shot"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
defect [ˈdiːfekt] noun

a fault or flaw
Example: It was a basic defect in her character; a defect in the china

Arabic:	عَيْب
Chinese (Simplified):	缺陷
Chinese (Traditional):	缺陷
Czech:	kaz, chyba
Danish:	defekt; mangel; brist
Dutch:	tekort, fout
Estonian:	puudus, viga
Finnish:	puute, vika
French:	défaut
German:	der Fehler
Greek:	ελάττωμα, ψεγάδι
Hungarian:	hiány(osság)
Icelandic:	galli
Indonesian:	cacat
Italian:	difetto

Japanese:	欠点
Korean:	결함, 결핍
Latvian:	trūkums; defekts
Lithuanian:	trūkumas
Norwegian:	feil, mangel, skavank
Polish:	wada, skaza
Portuguese (Brazil):	defeito
Portuguese (Portugal):	defeito
Romanian:	defect
Russian:	недостаток; дефект
Slovak:	kaz
Slovenian:	napaka
Spanish:	defecto
Swedish:	defekt
Turkish:	kusur, bozukluk

defect [ˈdiːfektdiˈfekt] verb

to leave a country, political party etc to go and join another; to desert
Example: He defected to the West.

Arabic:	يَهْرُبُ من بِلادِه، يَتَخَلّى عن حِزْبِه، يَرْتَد
Chinese (Simplified):	叛逃
Chinese (Traditional):	叛逃
Czech:	zběhnout; přestoupit (k)
Danish:	hoppe af; flygte
Dutch:	overlopen
Estonian:	(kellegi poole) üle jooksma
Finnish:	loikata
French:	passer à, déserter
German:	überwechseln
Greek:	αυτομολώ, λιποτακτώ
Hungarian:	disszidál
Icelandic:	hlaupast undan merkjum
Indonesian:	membelot
Italian:	disertare; rifugiarsi

Japanese:	寝返る
Korean:	(국가·정당을) 떠나 다른 곳으로 옮기다
Latvian:	pārbēgt; meklēt politisku patvērumu
Lithuanian:	pabėgti, dezertyruoti
Norwegian:	hoppe av, flykte, falle fra
Polish:	uchodzić
Portuguese (Brazil):	desertar
Portuguese (Portugal):	desertar
Romanian:	a dezerta; a fugi
Russian:	перебегать
Slovak:	prestúpiť k; emigrovať
Slovenian:	prestopiti; prebežati
Spanish:	desertar
Swedish:	hoppa av
Turkish:	karşı tarafa geçmek, ayrılmak

See also: defection, defective

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

de·fect (dfkt, d-fkt)
n.

A lack of or abnormality in something necessary for normal functioning; a deficiency or imperfection.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry: de·fect
Pronunciation: 'dE-"fekt, di-'
Function: noun
: a lack or deficiency of something necessary for adequacy in form or function <a hearing defect>

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry: de·fect
Pronunciation: 'dE-"fekt, di-'fekt
Function: noun
: something or a lack of something that results in incompleteness, inadequacy, or imperfection: as a : a flaw in something (as a product) esp. that creates an unreasonable risk of harm in its normal use —see also LATENT DEFECT b : an error or omission in a court document (as an indictment or pleading) c : some imperfection in the chain of title to property that makes the title unmarketable —de·fec·tive /di-'fek-tiv/ adjective —de·fec·tive·ly adverb —de·fec·tive·ness noun

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

defect
bug

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defect

De*fect"\, n. [L. defectus, fr. deficere, defectum, to desert, fail, be wanting; de- + facere to make, do. See Fact, Feat, and cf. Deficit.]

1. Want or absence of something necessary for completeness or perfection; deficiency; -- opposed to superfluity.

Errors have been corrected, and defects supplied. --Davies.

2. Failing; fault; imperfection, whether physical or moral; blemish; as, a defect in the ear or eye; a defect in timber or iron; a defect of memory or judgment.

Trust not yourself; but, your defects to know, Make use of every friend -- and every foe. --Pope.

Among boys little tenderness is shown to personal defects. --Macaulay.

Syn: Deficiency; imperfection; blemish. See Fault.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defect

De*fect"\, v. i. To fail; to become deficient. [Obs.] "Defected honor." --Warner.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defect

De*fect"\, v. t. To injure; to damage. "None can my life defect." [R.] --Troubles of Q. Elizabeth (1639).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defect

De*fec"tion\, n. [L. defectio: cf. F. d['e]fection. See Defect.] Act of abandoning a person or cause to which one is bound by allegiance or duty, or to which one has attached himself; desertion; failure in duty; a falling away; apostasy; backsliding. "Defection and falling away from God." --Sir W. Raleigh.

The general defection of the whole realm. --Sir J. Davies.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defect

De*fect"ive\, a. [L. defectivus: cf. F. d['e]fectif. See Defect.]

1. Wanting in something; incomplete; lacking a part; deficient; imperfect; faulty; -- applied either to natural or moral qualities; as, a defective limb; defective timber; a defective copy or account; a defective character; defective rules.

2. (Gram.) Lacking some of the usual forms of declension or conjugation; as, a defective noun or verb. -- De*fect"ive*ly, adv. -- De*fect"ive*ness, n.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defect

De*fi"cient\, a. [L. deficiens, -entis, p. pr. of deficere to be wanting. See Defect.] Wanting, to make up completeness; wanting, as regards a requirement; not sufficient; inadequate; defective; imperfect; incomplete; lacking; as, deficient parts; deficient estate; deficient strength; deficient in judgment.

The style was indeed deficient in ease and variety. --Macaulay.

Deficient number. (Arith.) See under Abundant. -- De*fi"cient-ly, adv.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defect

Def"i*cit\, n. [Lit., it is wanting, 3d person pres. indic. of L. deficere, cf. F. d['e]ficit. See Defect.] Deficiency in amount or quality; a falling short; lack; as, a deficit in taxes, revenue, etc. --Addison.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defect

Fact\, n. [L. factum, fr. facere to make or do. Cf. Feat, Affair, Benefit, Defect, Fashion, and -fy.]

1. A doing, making, or preparing. [Obs.]

A project for the fact and vending Of a new kind of fucus, paint for ladies. --B. Jonson.

2. An effect produced or achieved; anything done or that comes to pass; an act; an event; a circumstance.

What might instigate him to this devilish fact, I am not able to conjecture. --Evelyn.

He who most excels in fact of arms. --Milton.

3. Reality; actuality; truth; as, he, in fact, excelled all the rest; the fact is, he was beaten.

4. The assertion or statement of a thing done or existing; sometimes, even when false, improperly put, by a transfer of meaning, for the thing done, or supposed to be done; a thing supposed or asserted to be done; as, history abounds with false facts.

I do not grant the fact. --De Foe.

This reasoning is founded upon a fact which is not true. --Roger Long.

Note: TheTerm fact has in jurisprudence peculiar uses in contrast with low; as, attorney at low, and attorney in fact; issue in low, and issue in fact. There is also a grand distinction between low and fact with reference to the province of the judge and that of the jury, the latter generally determining the fact, the former the low. --Burrill Bouvier.

Accessary before, or after, the fact. See under Accessary.

Matter of fact, an actual occurrence; a verity; used adjectively: of or pertaining to facts; prosaic; unimaginative; as, a matter-of-fact narration.

Syn: Act; deed; performance; event; incident; occurrence; circumstance.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Defect

Fault\, n. [OE. faut, faute, F. faute (cf. It., Sp., & Pg. falta), fr. a verb meaning to want, fail, freq., fr. L. fallere to deceive. See Fail, and cf. Default.]

1. Defect; want; lack; default.

One, it pleases me, for fault of a better, to call my friend. --Shak.

2. Anything that fails, that is wanting, or that impairs excellence; a failing; a defect; a blemish.

As patches set upon a little breach Discredit more in hiding of the fault. --Shak.

3. A moral failing; a defect or dereliction from duty; a deviation from propriety; an offense less serious than a crime.

4. (Geol. & Mining) (a) A dislocation of the strata of the vein. (b) In coal seams, coal rendered worthless by impurities in the seam; as, slate fault, dirt fault, etc. --Raymond.

5. (Hunting) A lost scent; act of losing the scent.

Ceasing their clamorous cry till they have singled, With much ado, the cold fault cleary out. --Shak.

6. (Tennis) Failure to serve the ball into the proper court.

At fault, unable to find the scent and continue chase; hence, in trouble or embarrassment, and unable to proceed; puzzled; thrown off the track.

To find fault, to find reason for blaming or complaining; to express dissatisfaction; to complain; -- followed by with before the thing complained of; but formerly by at. "Matter to find fault at." --Robynson (More's Utopia).

Syn: -- Error; blemish; defect; imperfection; weakness; blunder; failing; vice.

Usage: Fault, Failing, Defect, Foible. A fault is positive, something morally wrong; a failing is negative, some weakness or falling short in a man's character, disposition, or habits; a defect is also negative, and as applied to character is the absence of anything which is necessary to its completeness or perfection; a foible is a less important weakness, which we overlook or smile at. A man may have many failings, and yet commit but few faults; or his faults and failings may be few, while his foibles are obvious to all. The faults of a friend are often palliated or explained away into mere defects, and the defects or foibles of an enemy exaggerated into faults. "I have failings in common with every human being, besides my own peculiar faults; but of avarice I have generally held myself guiltless." --Fox. "Presumption and self-applause are the foibles of mankind." --Waterland.

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