defect: Meaning and Definition of
de•fect
Pronunciation: (n.dē'fekt, di-fekt'v.di-fekt'), [key]
— n.
- a shortcoming, fault, or imperfection: a defect in an argument; a defect in a machine.
- lack or want, esp. of something essential to perfection or completeness; deficiency: a defect in hearing.
- Also calleda discontinuity in the lattice of a crystal caused by missing or extra atoms or ions, or by dislocations.
—v.i.
- 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.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.