noun
defect
DEE-fehkt
noun
1
A flaw, fault, or imperfection in something.
"The car was recalled because of a defect in the brakes."
"Doctors detected a heart defect at birth."
verb
1
To abandon one's country, party, or cause, especially to join an opposing one.
"The scientist defected to the West during the Cold War."
"Several soldiers defected rather than keep fighting."
How to Use Defect
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAs a noun, a flaw; as a verb, to switch sides or abandon your country/cause.
Common pairings
birth defect
manufacturing defect
defect to another country
Word Forms
defected past tense, defects plural, defects singular
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The car was recalled because of a _____ in the brakes.
Etymology
From Latin defectus ("a failure, lack"), from deficere ("to fail, undo"), formed from de- + facere ("to do").