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Defect vs Foible - What's the difference?

defect | foible | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between defect and foible

is that defect is a fault or malfunction while foible is a quirk, idiosyncrasy, or mannerism; unusual habit or way (usage is typically plural), that is slightly strange or silly.

As a verb defect

is to abandon or turn against; to cease or change one's loyalty, especially from a military organisation or political party.

As an adjective foible is

weak; feeble.

defect

English

(wikipedia defect)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A fault or malfunction.
  • a defect''' in the ear or eye; a '''defect''' in timber or iron; a '''defect of memory or judgment
  • * Macaulay
  • Among boys little tenderness is shown to personal defects .
  • * '>citation
  • The quantity or amount by which anything falls short.
  • * Davies
  • Errors have been corrected, and defects supplied.
  • (math) A part by which a figure or quantity is wanting or deficient.
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To abandon or turn against; to cease or change one's loyalty, especially from a military organisation or political party.
  • * 2013 May 23, , " British Leader’s Liberal Turn Sets Off a Rebellion in His Party," New York Times (retrieved 29 May 2013):
  • Capitalizing on the restive mood, Mr. Farage, the U.K. Independence Party leader, took out an advertisement in The Daily Telegraph this week inviting unhappy Tories to defect . In it Mr. Farage sniped that the Cameron government — made up disproportionately of career politicians who graduated from Eton and Oxbridge — was “run by a bunch of college kids, none of whom have ever had a proper job in their lives.”

    Derived terms

    * defection * defector

    foible

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) Weak; feeble.
  • (Lord Herbert)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A quirk, idiosyncrasy, or mannerism; unusual habit or way (usage is typically plural), that is slightly strange or silly.
  • Try to look past his foibles and see the friendly fellow underneath.
  • * 1915 ,
  • They made up for the respect with which unconsciously they treated him by laughing at his foibles and lamenting his vices.
  • * 1959 , Meriden Record, " An ounce of prevention", July 24 issue
  • Final fillip in the Vice-President's study has been a boning up]] on Premier Khrushchev's favorite foible , proverbs. The bibulous Russian leader likes to throw out homely [[homily, homilies in his speeches and conversations..
  • (fencing) Part of a sword between the middle and the point, weaker than the forte.
  • A weakness or failing of character.
  • * 1932 , , by William Floyd
  • Jesus is reverenced as the one man who has lived unspotted by the world, free from human foibles , able to redeem mankind by his example.

    Synonyms

    * (a weakness or failing of character) fault