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Webster 1913 Edition

Fault

Fault

,
Noun.
[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.
Defect; want; lack; default.
One, it pleases me, for
fault
of a better, to call my friend.
Shakespeare
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
.
Shakespeare
3.
A moral failing; a defect or dereliction from duty; a deviation from propriety; an offense less serious than a crime.
4.
(Geol. & Mining)
(a)
A dislocation of the strata of the vein.
(b)
In coal seams, coal rendered worthless by impurities in the seam;
as, slate
fault
, dirt
fault
, etc.
Raymond.
5.
(Hunting)
A lost scent; act of losing the scent.
Ceasing their clamorous cry till they have singled,
With much ado, the cold
fault
cleary out.
Shakespeare
6.
(Tennis)
Failure to serve the ball into the proper court.
Syn. – – 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 falling short in a man’s character, disposition, or habits; a defect is also negative, and as applied to character is the absence of anything 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.”
Fox.
“Presumption and self-applause are the foibles of mankind.”
Waterland.

Fault

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Faulted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Faulting
.]
1.
To charge with a fault; to accuse; to find fault with; to blame.
[Obs.]
For that I will not
fault
thee.
Old Song.
2.
(Geol.)
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
.

Fault

,
Verb.
I.
To err; to blunder, to commit a fault; to do wrong.
[Obs.]
If after Samuel's death the people had asked of God a king, they had not
faulted
.
Latimer.

Webster 1828 Edition

Fault

FAULT

,
Noun.
[See Fail.]
1.
Properly, an erring or missing; a failing; hence, an error or mistake; a blunder; a defect; a blemish; whatever impairs excellence; applied to things.
2.
In morals or deportment, any error or defect; an imperfection; any deviation from propriety; a slight offense; a neglect of duty or propriety, resulting from inattention or want of prudence, rather than from design to injure or offend, but liable to censure or objection.
I do remember my faults this day. Gen. 41.
If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye who are spiritual, restore such as one in the spirit of meekness. Gal. 6.
Fault implies wrong, and often some degree of criminality.
3.
Defect; want; absence. [Not now used. See Default.]
I could tell to thee, as to one if pleases me, for fault of a better to call my friend.
4.
Puzzle; difficulty.
Among sportsmen, when dogs lose the scent, they are said to be at fault. Hence the phrase, the inquirer is at fault.
5.
In mining, a fissure in strata, causing a dislocation of the same, and thus interrupting the course of veins.
To find fault, to express blame; to complain.
Thou wilt say then, why doth he yet find fault? Rom 9.
To find fault with, to blame; to censure; as, to find fault with the times, or with a neighbor's conduct.

FAULT

,
Verb.
I.
To fail; to be wrong. [Not used.]

FAULT

,
Verb.
T.
To charge with a fault; to accuse.
For that I will not fault thee.

Definition 2024

fault

fault

English

Noun

fault ‎(plural faults)

  1. A defect; something that detracts from perfection.
    • Shakespeare
      As patches set upon a little breach / Discredit more in hiding of the fault.
  2. A mistake or error.
    No!. This is my fault, not yours
  3. A weakness of character; a failing.
    For all her faults, she's a good person at heart.
  4. A minor offense.
  5. Blame; the responsibility for a mistake.
    The fault lies with you.
  6. (seismology) A fracture in a rock formation causing a discontinuity.
  7. (mining) In coal seams, coal rendered worthless by impurities in the seam.
    slate fault, dirt fault, etc.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Raymond to this entry?)
  8. (tennis) An illegal serve.
  9. (electrical) An abnormal connection in a circuit.
  10. (obsolete) want; lack
    • Shakespeare
      one, it pleases me, for fault of a better, to call my friend
  11. (hunting) A lost scent; act of losing the scent.
    • Shakespeare
      Ceasing their clamorous cry till they have singled, / With much ado, the cold fault clearly out.

Derived terms

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:defect

Translations

Verb

fault ‎(third-person singular simple present faults, present participle faulting, simple past and past participle faulted)

  1. (transitive) To criticize, blame or find fault with something or someone.
    • Traditional song
      For that I will not fault thee / But for humbleness exalt thee.
  2. (intransitive, geology) To fracture.
  3. (intransitive) To commit a mistake or error.
  4. (intransitive, computing) To undergo a page fault.
    • 2002, Æleen Frisch, Essential system administration
      When a page is read in, a few pages surrounding the faulted page are typically loaded as well in the same I/O operation in an effort to head off future page faults.

Translations

to undergo a page fault

French

Verb

fault

  1. Obsolete spelling of faut (third-person singular present indicative of falloir)

Etymology

From Middle English faute, faulte, from Anglo-Norman faute, Old French faute, from Vulgar Latin *fallita ‎(“shortcoming”), feminine of *fallitus, in place of Latin falsus, perfect passive participle of fallō ‎(“deceive”). Displaced native Middle English schuld, schuild ‎(“fault”) (from Old English scyld ‎(“fault”)), Middle English lac ‎(“fault, lack”) (from Middle Dutch lak ‎(“lack, fault”)), Middle English last ‎(“fault, vice”) (from Old Norse lǫstr, löstr ‎(“fault, vice, crime”)).

Pronunciation

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