fault Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
    error; mistake.
    • he made a bad mistake
    • she was quick to point out my errors
    • I could understand his English in spite of his grammatical faults
  2. noun an imperfection in an object or machine
    flaw; defect.
    • a flaw caused the crystal to shatter
    • if there are any defects you should send it back to the manufacturer
  3. noun the quality of being inadequate or falling short of perfection
    demerit.
    • they discussed the merits and demerits of her novel
    • he knew his own faults much better than she did
  4. noun (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other
    geological fault; break; faulting; fracture; shift.
    • they built it right over a geological fault
    • he studied the faulting of the earth's crust
  5. 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
  6. noun responsibility for a bad situation or event
    • it was John's fault
  7. noun (sports) a serve that is illegal (e.g., that lands outside the prescribed area)
    • he served too many double faults
  8. verb put or pin the blame on
    blame.

WordNet

Fault noun
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  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. (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. Shak.
  6. (Tennis) Failure to serve the ball into the proper court. Robynson (More's Utopia). 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 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." Fox. "Presumption and self-applause are the foibles of mankind." Waterland.
Fault transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Faulted; present participle & verbal noun Faulting
Definitions
  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 intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. 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 1913