defect

Universal Words noun, verb noun a fault in sth or in the way it has been made which means that it is not perfect: a speech defect * a defect in the glass verb [V] ~ (from sth) (to sth) to leave a political party, country, etc. to join another that is considered to be an enemy: A number of writers and musicians defected from the Soviet Union to the West in the 1960s. * She defected from the party just days before the election. defection noun [U,C] ~ (from sth) (to sth): There have been several defections from the ruling party. defector noun