Definition of Fault

1. Noun. A wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention. "I could understand his English in spite of his grammatical faults"


2. Verb. Put or pin the blame on.
Exact synonyms: Blame
Generic synonyms: Accuse, Charge
Antonyms: Absolve
Derivative terms: Blamable, Blame, Blameable

3. Noun. An imperfection in an object or machine. "If there are any defects you should send it back to the manufacturer"
Exact synonyms: Defect, Flaw
Generic synonyms: Imperfection, Imperfectness
Specialized synonyms: Blister, Bug, Glitch, Hole
Derivative terms: Faulty, Flaw

4. Noun. The quality of being inadequate or falling short of perfection. "He knew his own faults much better than she did"
Exact synonyms: Demerit
Generic synonyms: Worth
Antonyms: Merit

5. Noun. (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other. "He studied the faulting of the earth's crust"
Exact synonyms: Break, Faulting, Fracture, Geological Fault, Shift
Category relationships: Geology
Terms within: Fault Line
Generic synonyms: Cleft, Crack, Crevice, Fissure, Scissure
Specialized synonyms: Denali Fault, San Andreas Fault
Specialized synonyms: Inclined Fault, Strike-slip Fault
Derivative terms: Break, Fracture

6. Noun. (electronics) equipment failure attributable to some defect in a circuit (loose connection or insulation failure or short circuit etc.). "It took much longer to find the fault than to fix it"
Category relationships: Electronics
Generic synonyms: Breakdown, Equipment Failure

7. Noun. Responsibility for a bad situation or event. "It was John's fault"
Generic synonyms: Responsibility, Responsibleness

8. Noun. (sports) a serve that is illegal (e.g., that lands outside the prescribed area). "He served too many double faults"
Specialized synonyms: Double Fault, Footfault
Category relationships: Squash, Squash Rackets, Squash Racquets, Badminton, Lawn Tennis, Tennis
Generic synonyms: Serve, Service

Definition of Fault

1. n. Defect; want; lack; default.

2. v. t. To charge with a fault; to accuse; to find fault with; to blame.

3. v. i. To err; to blunder, to commit a fault; to do wrong.

4. n. A defective point in an electric circuit due to a crossing of the parts of the conductor, or to contact with another conductor or the earth, or to a break in the circuit.

Definition of Fault

1. Noun. A defect; something that detracts from perfection. ¹

2. Noun. A mistake or error. ¹

3. Noun. A weakness of character. ¹

4. Noun. A minor offense. ¹

5. Noun. Blame; the responsibility for a mistake. ¹

6. Noun. (geology) A fracture in a rock formation causing a discontinuity ¹

7. Noun. (context: tennis) An illegal serve. ¹

8. Noun. (context: electrical) An abnormal connection in a circuit. ¹

9. Verb. (transitive) To criticize, blame or find fault with something or someone. ¹

10. Verb. (intransitive geology) To fracture. ¹

11. Verb. (intransitive) To commit a mistake or error. ¹

12. Verb. (intransitive computing) To undergo a page fault. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Fault

1. to criticize [v -ED, -ING, -S] - See also: criticize

Medical Definition of Fault

1. 1. Defect; want; lack; default. "One, it pleases me, for fault of a better, to call my friend." (Shak) 2. Anything that fails, that is wanting, or that impairs excellence; a failing; a defect; a blemish. "As patches set upon a little breach Discredit more in hiding of the fault." (Shak) 3. A moral failing; a defect or dereliction from duty; a deviation from propriety; an offense less serious than a crime. 4. A dislocation of the strata of the vein. In coal seams, coal rendered worthless by impurities in the seam; as, slate fault, dirt fault, etc. 5. A lost scent; act of losing the scent. "Ceasing their clamorous cry till they have singled, With much ado, the cold fault cleary out." (Shak) 6. Failure to serve the ball into the proper court. at fault, unable to find the scent and continue chase; hance, in trouble ot embarrassment, and unable to proceed; puzzled; thhrown off the track. To find fault, to find reason for blaming or complaining; to express dissatisfaction; to complain; followed by with before the thing complained of; but formerly by at. "Matter to find fault at." Synonym: Error, blemish, defect, imperfection, weakness, blunder, failing, vice. Fault, Failing, Defect, Foible. A fault is positive, something morally wrong; a failing is negative, some weakness or failling short in a man's character, disposition, or habits; a defect is also negative, and as applied to character is the absence of anyything which is necessary to its completeness or perfection; a foible is a less important weakness, which we overlook or smile at. A man may have many failings, and yet commit but few faults; or his faults and failings may be few, while his foibles are obvious to all. The faults of a friend are often palliated or explained away into mere defects, and the defects or foibles of an enemy exaggerated into faults. "I have failings in common with every human being, besides my own peculiar faults; but of avarice I have generally held myself guiltless." . "Presumption and self-applause are the foibles of mankind." . Origin: OE. Faut, faute, F. Faute (cf. It, Sp, & Pg. Falta), fr. A verb meaning to want, fail, freq, fr. L. Fallere to deceive. See Fail, and cf. Default. 1. To charge with a fault; to accuse; to find fault with; to blame. "For that I will not fault thee." (Old Song) 2. To interrupt the continuity of (rock strata) by displacement along a plane of fracture; chiefly used in the p.p.; as, the coal beds are badly faulted. Origin: Faulted; Faulting. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Fault

faucial tonsil
faucial tonsils
faugh
faujasite
faujasites
faujdar
faujdars
faulchion
faulchions
faulcon
faulcons
fauld
faulds
faule
faules
fault (current term)
fault-line
fault gouge
fault line
fault lines
fault plane
fault scarp
fault trace
fault traces
faultable
faulted
faulter
faulters
faultfinder
faultfinders

Literary usage of Fault

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Standard Work of Reference in Art, Literature (1907)
"In the left-hand fault in fig. 28 there is no hade, for the fault is ... It is obvious that a fault of this kind must seriously affect the value of a ..."

2. The Geographical Journal by Royal Geographical Society (Great Britain) (1901)
"Scotland—Fresh-water Lochs— Ard, Loch, 276 Chon, Loch, 274 Japanese Earthquake— Displacement of field divisions by the fault near Nishi-Katabira, ..."

3. Proceedings by American Society of Civil Engineers (1907)
"The section shown is somewhat typical of the structure adjacent to the fault line throughout the region south of San Francisco. There are fault lines also ..."

4. A Treatise on Ore Deposits by John Arthur Phillips (1884)
"When beds of a soft amid yielding nature are traversed by a fault, the fissure is often bounded by two mere planes of division, the surfaces of which are ..."

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