defect: Meaning and Definition of

de•fect

Pronunciation: (n.dē'fekt, di-fekt'v.di-fekt'), [key]
— n.
  1. a shortcoming, fault, or imperfection: a defect in an argument; a defect in a machine.
  2. lack or want, esp. of something essential to perfection or completeness; deficiency: a defect in hearing.
  3. Also calleda discontinuity in the lattice of a crystal caused by missing or extra atoms or ions, or by dislocations.
—v.i.
  1. 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.
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