flaw en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /flɑ/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger)
- /flɔ/ (General-American) without the cot–caught merger
- (US) audio cot-caught
- /flɔ/ (Scotland)
- /floː/ (Australia, British, New-Zealand, Southern, Standard)
- /flɔː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English flawe, flay (“a flake of fire or snow, spark, splinter”), probably from Old Norse flaga (“a flag or slab of stone, flake”), from Proto-Germanic *flagō (“a layer of soil”), from Proto-Indo-European *plok- (“broad, flat”). Cognate with Icelandic flaga (“flake”), Swedish flaga (“flake, scale”), Danish flage (“flake”), Middle Low German vlage (“a layer of soil”), Old English flōh (“a fragment, piece”).
Meanings
- (obsolete) A flake, fragment, or shiver.
- (obsolete) A thin cake, as of ice.
-
A crack or breach, a gap or fissure; a defect of continuity or cohesion.
This heart / Shall break into a hundred thousand flaws.
c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:That vase has a flaw.
There is a flaw in that knife.
-
A defect, fault, or imperfection, especially one that is hidden.
Has not this also its flaws and its dark side?
1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
- (in particular) A defect, fault, or imperfection, especially one that is hidden. ▸ An inclusion, stain, or other defect of a diamond or other gemstone.
-
A defect, fault, or imperfection, especially one that is hidden. ▸ A defect or error in a contract or other document which may make the document invalid or ineffective.
a flaw in a will, in a deed, or in a statute
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| flaws | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
flawless · flawful · flawsome · flawy · tragic flaw · design flaw · Persian flaw
Synonyms
Translations (140)
bg цепнатина (crack or breach) · ru недоста́ток (defect, fault) · eo manko (defect, fault) · oc peca (defect, fault) · oc deca (crack or breach) · ro spărtură (crack or breach) · fr crapaud (defect in a gemstone) · ro cusur (defect, fault) · nb skavank (crack or breach) · bg дефект (defect, fault) · fi rako (crack or breach) · sv spricka (crack or breach) · pl wada (defect, fault) · de Fehler (defect, fault) · ga fabht (defect, fault) · gl falla (defect, fault) · pt falha (crack or breach) · de Riss (crack or breach) · eo difekto (defect, fault) · mk фалинка (defect, fault) · pt falha (defect, fault) · de Makel (defect in a gemstone) · sk chyba (defect, fault) · cmn 毛病 (defect, fault) · es falla (crack or breach) · it cricca (crack or breach) · nl barstje (crack or breach) · nl fout (defect, fault) · gl fenda (crack or breach) · es imperfección (defect, fault) · sk škára (crack or breach) · oc bèrca (crack or breach) · da defekt (crack or breach) · ja 欠点 (defect, fault) · hu repedés (crack or breach) · it difetto (defect, fault) · crh brak (defect, fault) · cmn 疵 (crack or breach) · ar عَيْبٌ (defect, fault) · mk мана (defect, fault) · es pega (defect, fault) · sk vada (defect, fault) · ko 결점 (defect, fault) · ru щель (crack or breach) · gl brecha (crack or breach) · cs vada (defect, fault) · nb brist (crack or breach) · az naqislik (defect, fault) · nl barst (crack or breach) · it difetto (defect in a gemstone) · hu hiba (defect, fault) · oc sin (defect, fault) · it imperfezione (defect in a gemstone) · da skønshedsfejl (crack or breach) · it crepa (crack or breach) · nb brist (defect, fault) · fr défaut (defect, fault) · nl kristalfout (defect in a gemstone) · ota ردت (defect, fault) · fi vika (defect, fault) · sv skavank (crack or breach) · ro defect (defect, fault) · tr çizik (crack or breach) · de Schwachstelle (defect, fault) · gl eiva (defect, fault) · it errore (defect, fault) · ta கோளாறு (defect, fault) · grc ψόγος (defect, fault) · fr défaut (crack or breach) · ro încălcare (crack or breach) · cmn 缺陷 (defect, fault) · sh мана (defect, fault) · de Makel (defect, fault) · tr kusur (defect, fault) · fr fissure (crack or breach) · ro fisură (crack or breach) · pt defeito (defect, fault) · da fejl (crack or breach) · sk závada (defect, fault) · sl razpoka (defect, fault) · oc brèca (crack or breach) · ja ひび (crack or breach) · sv fel (defect, fault) · de Schaden (crack or breach) · sl pomanjkljivost (defect, fault) · pt defeito (crack or breach) · de Sprung (crack or breach) · ga locht (defect, fault) · nn lyte (defect, fault) · bg пукнатина (crack or breach) · ru изъя́н (defect, fault) · la vitium (defect, fault) · hu hiányosság (defect, fault) · ro hibă (defect, fault) · sl napaka (defect, fault) · tr çatlak (crack or breach) · hy արատ (defect, fault) · oc manca (defect, fault) · bg недостатък (defect, fault) · ta குறை (defect, fault) · de Absplitterung (crack or breach) · ru брак (defect, fault) · sh mana (defect, fault) · it imperfezione (defect, fault) · cmn 瑕疵 (defect, fault) · mi tōrōkiri (defect, fault) · de Macke (defect, fault) · fi virhe (defect, fault) · ru дефе́кт (defect, fault) · az nöqsan (defect, fault) · ru поро́к (defect, fault) · sv brist (defect, fault) · nl onzuiverheid (defect in a gemstone) · az kəsir (defect, fault) · et mõra (crack or breach) · da defekt (defect, fault) · sk prasklina (crack or breach) · oc defaut (defect, fault) · th ข้อบกพร่อง (defect, fault) · nb feil (crack or breach) · ru тре́щина (crack or breach) · nb feil (defect, fault) · fr faille (defect, fault) · uk вада (defect, fault) · ru поро́к (crack or breach) · de Schlupfloch (defect, fault) · et puudus (defect, fault) · pt erro (defect, fault) · enm chalenge (defect, fault) · et viga (defect, fault) · es desperfecto (defect, fault) · da fejl (defect, fault) · oc deca (defect, fault) · az qüsur (defect, fault) · it fessura (crack or breach) · tr hata (defect, fault) · lt trūkumas (defect, fault) · ja 瑕疵 (defect, fault) · es defecto (defect in a gemstone) · oc taca (defect, fault)