flaw¹

[flaw]

See more synonyms for flaw on Thesaurus.com

noun

a feature that mars the perfection of something; defect; fault: beauty without flaw; the flaws in our plan.
a defect impairing legal soundness or validity.
a crack, break, breach, or rent.

verb (used with object)

to produce a flaw in.

verb (used without object)

to contract a flaw; become cracked or defective.

Origin of flaw¹

1275–1325; Middle English flaw(e), flage, perhaps < Old Norse flaga sliver, flake

Related formsflaw·less, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. imperfection, blot, spot. 3. fissure, rift.

Synonym study

1. See defect.

flaw²

[flaw]

noun

Also called windflaw. a sudden, usually brief windstorm or gust of wind.
a short spell of rough weather.
Obsolete. a burst of feeling, fury, etc.

Origin of flaw²

First recorded in 1475–85, flaw is from the Old Norse word flaga attack, squall

Related formsflaw·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for flaw

Contemporary Examples

Rather than a flaw that heightens her appeal, it is a flaw that makes her difficult to forgive.
The Feminist Aesthetic of ‘Happy Valley’: A Refusal to Eroticize Violence Against Women
Batya Ungar-Sargon
August 31, 2014
But the book has one flaw that should serve as a warning or spur to other first-time writers: It lacks higher-order imagination.
Ted Thompson’s Debut Novel Features A 1 Percenter As Its Hero
Stefan Beck
May 6, 2014
If there is a flaw to be found here it is only one of narrowness; all of these narrators are American men and most are Marines.
The Profanity of War: Phil Klay’s “Redeployment”
Brian Castner
March 1, 2014
By the time the Army decoded the first Venona cable, the flaw had been corrected and KGB communications rendered impenetrable.
Soviet-Era Secret Leakers Were Way Worse Than Snowden
Steve Usdin
August 7, 2013
Fatness may be a flaw, but it is not a singularly terrible flaw.
Give Chris Christie a Break on His Weight
Michelle Cottle
February 8, 2013

Historical Examples

The Inspector seized on the one flaw left him for defense against her indictment.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
The most carping could have found no flaw in the quiet taste of his attire.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance
It was more; it was a mistake, a flaw in her diplomacy; for Calendar intercepted it.
The Black Bag
Louis Joseph Vance
There was a flaw in one of the rods connected with the engine.
A Woman Intervenes
Robert Barr
The complainant's shield was examined and counted, and not a flaw discovered.
Vivian Grey
Earl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli

British Dictionary definitions for flaw

flaw¹

noun

an imperfection, defect, or blemish
a crack, breach, or rift
law an invalidating fault or defect in a document or proceeding

verb

to make or become blemished, defective, or imperfect

Derived Formsflawless, adjectiveflawlessly, adverbflawlessness, noun

Word Origin

C14: probably from Old Norse flaga stone slab; related to Swedish flaga chip, flake, flaw

flaw²

noun

1. a sudden short gust of wind; squall
2. a spell of bad, esp windy, weather
obsolete an outburst of strong feeling

Derived Formsflawy, adjective

Word Origin

C16: of Scandinavian origin; related to Norwegian flaga squall, gust, Middle Dutch vlāghe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for flaw

n.

early 14c., "a flake" (of snow), also in Middle English "a spark of fire; a splinter," from Old Norse flaga "stone slab, flake" (see flagstone); sense of "defect, fault" first recorded 1580s, first of character, later (c.1600) of material things; probably via notion of a "fragment" broken off.

v.

early 15c. (implied in flawed); see flaw (n.). Related: Flawing.

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Synonyms

Synonym study

flaw2

Origin of flaw2

Related Words

Examples from the Web for flaw

Contemporary Examples

Rather than a flaw that heightens her appeal, it is a flaw that makes her difficult to forgive.

But the book has one flaw that should serve as a warning or spur to other first-time writers: It lacks higher-order imagination.

If there is a flaw to be found here it is only one of narrowness; all of these narrators are American men and most are Marines.

By the time the Army decoded the first Venona cable, the flaw had been corrected and KGB communications rendered impenetrable.

Fatness may be a flaw, but it is not a singularly terrible flaw.

Historical Examples

The Inspector seized on the one flaw left him for defense against her indictment.

The most carping could have found no flaw in the quiet taste of his attire.

It was more; it was a mistake, a flaw in her diplomacy; for Calendar intercepted it.

There was a flaw in one of the rods connected with the engine.

The complainant's shield was examined and counted, and not a flaw discovered.

flaw1

Word Origin

flaw2

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for flaw

n.

v.

flaw¹

Origin of flaw¹

flaw²

Origin of flaw²

flaw¹

flaw²