flaw

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A fault or weakness that makes something less than perfect.

   There is one serious flaw in your plan.

2. 2
   noun

   A weakness in someone's character.

   His main flaw is that he is too proud.

3. 3
   noun

   A small crack or mark that spoils something.

   A tiny flaw caused the crystal to shatter.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Flaw is a Middle English word that originally denoted a snowflake or spark of fire and then a fragment; its modern sense “defect” developed in the 15th century. It may be related to the possibly Scandinavian flag meaning a piece of turf or stone, with both words expressing the idea of a portion detached from something.

From Middle English *flaugh, from Middle Dutch vlāghe or Middle Low German vlāge, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *flagā. Or, possibly of North Germanic origin, from Swedish flaga (“gust of wind”), from Old Norse flaga; all from Proto-Germanic *flagǭ (“blow, strike”). See modern Dutch vlaag (“gust of wind”).

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary