Definitions for defect
ˈdi fɛkt, dɪˈfɛkt; dɪˈfɛktde·fect

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:1.5 / 2 votes

1. defectnoun

   an imperfection in a bodily system

   "visual defects"; "this device permits detection of defects in the lungs"

2. defect, shortcomingnoun

   a failing or deficiency

   "that interpretation is an unfortunate defect of our lack of information"

3. defect, fault, flawnoun

   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. blemish, defect, marverb

   a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body)

   "a facial blemish"

5. defect, desertverb

   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"

GCIDERate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. Defectverb

   to abandon one country or faction, and join another.

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. defectnoun

   A fault or malfunction.

2. defectverb

   To abandon or turn against; to cease or change one's loyalty.

3. Etymology: From defaicte, from defectus, from deficere, from past participle defectus, from de- + facere.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. DEFECTnoun

   Etymology: defectus, Latin.

   1. Want; absence of something necessary; insufficiency; the fault opposed to superfluity.

   Errors have been corrected, and defects supplied. Davies.

   Had this strange energy been less,
   Defect had been as fatal as excess. Richard Blackmore, Creation.

   2. Failing; want.

   Oft ’tis seen
   Our mean secures us, and our mere defects
   Prove our commodities. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

   3. A fault; mistake; error.

   We had rather follow the perfections of them whom we like not, than in defects resemble them whom we love. Richard Hooker.

   You praise yourself,
   By laying defects of judgment to me. William Shakespeare, Ant. and Cleop.

   Trust not yourself; but your defects to know,
   Make use of ev’ry friend —— and ev’ry foe. Alexander Pope, Essay.

   4. Any natural imperfection; a blemish; a failure.

   Men, through some defect in the organs, want words, yet fail not to express their universal ideas by signs. John Locke.

2. To Defectverb

   To be deficient; to fall short of; to fail. Obsolete.

   Etymology: from the noun.

   Some lost themselves in attempts above humanity, yet the enquiries of most defected by the way, and tired within the sober circumference of knowledge. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Defectnoun

   want or absence of something necessary for completeness or perfection; deficiency; -- opposed to superfluity

2. Defectnoun

   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

3. Defectverb

   to fail; to become deficient

4. Defectverb

   to injure; to damage

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Defect

   de-fekt′, n. a deficiency: a want: imperfection: blemish: fault.—n. Defectibil′ity.—adj. Defect′ible, liable to imperfection: deficient.—ns. Defec′tion, a failure, a falling away from duty: revolt; Defec′tionist.—adj. Defec′tive, having defect: wanting in some necessary quality: imperfect: faulty: insufficient.—adv. Defect′ively.—n. Defect′iveness.—The defects of one's qualities, virtues carried to excess, the faults apt to accompany or flow from good qualities. [L. deficĕre, defectum, to fail—de, down, and facĕre, to do.]

Matched Categories

1. • Disadvantage
   • Flee
   • Imperfection

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'defect' in Nouns Frequency: #2272

How to pronounce defect?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say defect in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of defect in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of defect in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of defect in a Sentence

1. Anita Loos:

   There is a serious defect in the thinking of someone who wants -- more than anything else -- to become rich. As long as they don't have the money, it'll seem like a worthwhile goal. Once they do, they'll understand how important other things are -- and have always been.

2. Joseph Brooks:

   There is a serious defect in the thinking of someone who wants--more than anything else--to become rich. As long as they don't have the money, it'll seem like a worthwhile goal. Once they do, they'll understand how important other things are--and have always been.

3. Charles Babbage:

   Propose to any englishman any principle, or any instrument, however admirable, and you will observe that the whole effort of the english mind is directed to find a difficulty, defect or an impossibility in it.

4. Xu Xiuying:

   I thought it was a result of a genetic defect and assumed I had been born like that, so I didn’t think any more of it.

5. Richard Blumenthal:

   I am deeply concerned that these vintage aircraft, decades old, some of them having been involved in crashes before, are still flying, until we know exactly what caused this crash, a major tragedy, whether it was a defect in the machine or some problem with maintenance or flying. There should be very serious scrutiny over these planes before theyre allowed back in the air.

Popularity rank by frequency of use