The word "defect" has two primary meanings:
- As a noun, a defect is a problem, fault, or imperfection that makes someone or something not perfect. This can be a physical problem that causes something to be less valuable, effective, or healthy (e.g., a heart defect or a flaw in a product). It also refers to something that causes weakness or failure, such as a flaw in logic or a character defect.
- As a verb, to defect means to leave a country, political party, organization, etc., and join another that is a competitor or enemy. For example, someone might defect from one political party to another or from one country to an opposing country.
In summary:
- Defect (noun): an imperfection or fault.
- Defect (verb): to abandon one group or cause for another.
This covers both the common usages of the word defect in English.
