Syn. — Deficiency; imperfection; blemish. See Fault.
Defect
(De*fect"), v. i. To fail; to become deficient. [Obs.] "Defected honor." Warner.
Defect
(De*fect"), v. t. To injure; to damage. "None can my life defect." [R.] Troubles of Q. Elizabeth
Defectibility
(De*fect`i*bil"i*ty) n. Deficiency; imperfection. [R.] Ld. Digby. Jer. Taylor.
Defectible
(De*fect"i*ble) a. Liable to defect; imperfect. [R.] "A defectible understanding." Jer. Taylor.
Defection
(De*fec"tion) n. [L. defectio: cf. F. défection. See Defect.] Act of abandoning a person or
cause to which one is bound by allegiance or duty, or to which one has attached himself; desertion; failure
in duty; a falling away; apostasy; backsliding. "Defection and falling away from God." Sir W. Raleigh.
The general defection of the whole realm.
Sir J. Davies. Defectionist
(De*fec"tion*ist), n. One who advocates or encourages defection.
Defectious
(De*fec"tious) a. Having defects; imperfect. [Obs.] "Some one defectious piece." Sir P.
Sidney.
Defective
(De*fect"ive) a. [L. defectivus: cf. F. défectif. See Defect.]
1. Wanting in something; incomplete; lacking a part; deficient; imperfect; faulty; — applied either to natural
or moral qualities; as, a defective limb; defective timber; a defective copy or account; a defective character;
defective rules.
2. (Gram.) Lacking some of the usual forms of declension or conjugation; as, a defective noun or verb.
— De*fect"ive*ly, adv. — De*fect"ive*ness, n.
Defectuosity
(De*fec`tu*os"i*ty) n. [Cf. F. défectuosité.] Great imperfection. [Obs.] W. Montagu.
Defectuous
(De*fec"tu*ous) a. [Cf. F. défectueux.] Full of defects; imperfect. [Obs.] Barrow.
Defedation
(Def`e*da"tion) n. [L. defoedare, defoedatum, to defile; de- + foedare to foul, foedus foul.]
The act of making foul; pollution. [Obs.]
Defence
(De*fence") n. & v. t. See Defense.
Defend
(De*fend") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Defended; p. pr. & vb. n. Defending.] [F. défendre, L. defendere;
de- + fendere (only in comp.) to strike; perh. akin to Gr. qei`nein to strike, and E. dint. Cf. Dint, Defense,
Fend.]
1. To ward or fend off; to drive back or away; to repel. [A Latinism & Obs.]
Th' other strove for to defend
The force of Vulcan with his might and main.
Spenser. 2. To prohibit; to forbid. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Which God defend that I should wring from him.
Shak. 3. To repel danger or harm from; to protect; to secure against attack; to maintain against force or argument; to
uphold; to guard; as, to defend a town; to defend a cause; to defend character; to defend the absent; —
