defect

noun
de·​fect | \ ˈdē-ˌfekt How to pronounce defect (audio) , di-ˈfekt How to pronounce defect (audio) \

Definition of defect

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : an imperfection that impairs worth or utility : shortcoming the grave defects in our foreign policy A defect prevented the DVD from playing properly.
b chemistry : an imperfection (such as a vacancy or an unlike atom) in a crystal lattice (see lattice sense 2)
2 : a lack of something necessary for completeness, adequacy, or perfection : deficiency a hearing defect

defect

verb
de·​fect | \ di-ˈfekt How to pronounce defect (audio) \
defected; defecting; defects

Definition of defect (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to forsake one cause, party, or nation for another often because of a change in ideology a former KGB agent who defected to America
2 : to leave one situation (such as a job) often to go over to a rival the reporter defected to another network

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Other Words from defect

Verb

defector \ di-​ˈfek-​tər How to pronounce defector (audio) \ noun

Examples of defect in a Sentence

Noun

They examine their products for defects. She was born with a heart defect. Vanity and pride were his two worst character defects.

Verb

The Russian scholar defected in 1979. She defected from the conservative party. He defected to the West before the war began. The reporter defected to another TV network.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

On Friday, volunteer dental veterinarians and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium staff gathered to work on Kirana the Sumatran tiger, who needed to have a complicated crown-root fracture and a periodontal defect tended to. Alan Berner, The Seattle Times, "How do you perform dental work on a tiger? Very carefully.," 16 Aug. 2019 Justin Machell, 31, of Lyndonville, Vt., suffered serious injuries after the 2019 Ford Fusion spun out of control and rolled over around 2:15 p.m. A mechanical defect and a sudden burst of heavy rain may have been factors in the crash. Sofia Saric, BostonGlobe.com, "One dead, one injured in crash on I-93 in N.H.," 7 Aug. 2019 The accident report determined that one of the propeller governors — a mechanism that adjusts the angle of the propeller blades based on the speed of the engine — was faulty, a defect that should have been noticed on the test flight. John Kelly, Washington Post, "In World War II, a snakebit bomber crashed and burned near the Anacostia River," 3 Aug. 2019 Some people see drunkenness and understand it as a character defect; others see alcoholism and understand it as a disease — in either case, the diagnosis is the same: Stop drinking two liters of bourbon a day. Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, "What Noah Smith Gets Wrong about Poverty," 31 July 2019 Born with spina bifida, a spinal cord defect, Romanchuk began taking part in adaptive sports through Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Bennett Blazers in Baltimore at the age of 2. Edward Lee, baltimoresun.com, "'I’ve never seen anything like it’: Mount Airy’s Daniel Romanchuk setting records, emerging as one of world’s top parathletes," 12 July 2019 Safety recalls are necessary when a defect poses an unreasonable risk of accidents or injuries. Freep.com, "FREE PRESS INVESTIGATION: OUT OF GEAR Ford knew Focus, Fiesta models had flawed transmission, sold them anyway," 11 July 2019 The voluntary recall of the 11-inch-tall Forky plush doll announced Monday, July 8, was due to a manufacturing defect, according to the official statement. Brady Macdonald, The Mercury News, "Disney recalls ‘Toy Story 4’ Forky plush dolls sold at Disneyland resort," 9 July 2019 After his first stroke, Bruschi was diagnosed with a hole in his heart, a congenital defect that can raise stroke risk. CNN, "Former New England Patriots player Tedy Bruschi is recovering from a stroke, his family says," 5 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Winning those voters who defected from the two major parties would be an important step for either party. Stuart Rothenberg, Twin Cities, "Stuart Rothenberg: How third-party votes sunk Clinton, what they mean for Trump," 6 Aug. 2019 In October 2015, Lopez was one of four members of the Cuban Under-23 national team to defect before an Olympic qualifying match vs. Panama in Kansas City, Kan. Terrence Thomas, ExpressNews.com, "SAFC forward’s game is a world apart," 2 Aug. 2019 Six years earlier, at the age of eighteen, Navratilova, who grew up in Czechoslovakia, had defected to the United States. Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, "Martina Navratilova on Megan Rapinoe and the Trajectory of Gay Women in Sports," 13 July 2019 The temptation to defect is overwhelming, and defection rules the day. Quanta Magazine, "Game Theory Calls Cooperation Into Question," 12 Feb. 2015 Jinny Ryann is particularly resonant as Dunne, the hunter and trapper who fatally defects on the verge of victory. Los Angeles Times, "Review: ‘Men on Boats’ puts women at the helm of this thrill ride," 16 July 2019 His attempted deferential pass to Loons’ attackers defected off a Quakes defender and went straight back to Boxall. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, "In ‘biggest game’ yet, Minnesota United beats San Jose 3-1," 3 July 2019 Díaz heard the call, and defected from the military on May 1st. Natalie Gallón, CNN, "They risked everything for Guaidó. Now Venezuela's military defectors are lost," 4 June 2019 Four Senate Republicans defected to allow the measure to pass 23-17 in a special session. Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, "Virginia’s Medicaid expansion is a big deal," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'defect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of defect

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for defect

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Latin dēfectus "failure, absence, lack, weakness," from dēficere "to be lacking, run short, weaken, fail" + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at deficient

Verb

borrowed from Latin dēfectus, past participle of dēficere "to be lacking, fail, become disaffected, go over (to the side of an opponent)" — more at deficient

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More Definitions for defect

defect

noun

English Language Learners Definition of defect

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a physical problem that causes something to be less valuable, effective, healthy, etc.
: something that causes weakness or failure

defect

verb