flaw

1
[ flaw ]
/ flɔ /
SEE 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.

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of flaw

1
1275–1325; Middle English flaw(e), flage, perhaps < Old Norse flaga sliver, flake

synonym study for flaw

1. See defect.

OTHER WORDS FROM flaw

flaw·less, adjective

Words nearby flaw

flavory, flavour, flavour enhancer, flavourful, flavouring, flaw, flawed, flawless, flax, flax kit, flaxen

Definition for flaw (2 of 2)

flaw2
[ flaw ]
/ flɔ /

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 flaw

2
First recorded in 1475–85, flaw is from the Old Norse word flaga attack, squall

OTHER WORDS FROM flaw

flaw·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to flaw

blemish, weakness, failing, defect, foible, glitch, fault, bug, pitfall, gremlin, speck, vice, wart, spot, catch, stain, disfigurement, typo, catch-22

Example sentences from the Web for flaw

British Dictionary definitions for flaw (1 of 2)

flaw1
/ (flɔː) /

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 forms of flaw

flawless, adjectiveflawlessly, adverbflawlessness, noun

Word Origin for flaw

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

British Dictionary definitions for flaw (2 of 2)

flaw2
/ (flɔː) /

noun

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

Derived forms of flaw

flawy, adjective

Word Origin for flaw

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