ENGLISH
REFERENCE

defect

n.
US //ˈdifɛkt// de·fect
  1. 1 a fault or flaw (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a physical problem or mistake in how something was made that stops it from working perfectly.

    a physical or functional imperfection, flaw, or blemish in a product or system.

    Example

    The car was recalled because of a serious defect in the braking system.

    Example

    Quality control identified a structural defect in the wing assembly, forcing the manufacturer to halt production until the design could be rectified.

  2. 2 a shortage (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Math

    the amount by which something is less than what is needed.

    the amount or quantity by which something falls short of a required standard or total.

    Example

    The accountant noted a small defect in the final budget totals.

    Example

    In geometry, the angular defect of a vertex describes the difference between the sum of the angles and the expected planar total.

Origin

Borrowed from Latin defectus (“a failure, lack”), from deficere (“to fail, lack, literally 'undo'”), from past participle defectus, from de- (“of, from”) + facere (“to do”).

Word family

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