Flaw Definition

flô

flaws

noun

flaws

A break, scratch, crack, etc. that spoils something; blemish.

A flaw in a diamond.

Webster's New World

An imperfection, often concealed, that impairs soundness.

A flaw in the crystal that caused it to shatter.

American Heritage

A defect; fault; error.

A flaw in a legal document, in one's reasoning, etc.

Webster's New World

A sudden, brief gust of wind, often with rain or snow; squall.

Webster's New World

A defect or error in a contract or other document which may make the document invalid.

A flaw in a will, in a deed, or in a statute.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

verb

flaws

To make or become faulty.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Flaw

Singular:

flaw

Plural:

flaws

From Middle English flawe, flay (“a flake of fire or snow, spark, splinter”), probably from Old Norse flaga (“a flag or slab of stone, flake”), from Proto-Germanic *flagō (“a layer of soil”), from Proto-Indo-European *plāk- (“broad, flat”). Cognate with Icelandic flaga (“flake”), Swedish flaga (“flake, scale”), Danish flage (“flake”), Middle Low German vlage (“a layer of soil”), Old English flōh (“a frament, piece”).

From Wiktionary
Middle English flaue splinter perhaps from Old Norse flaga slab of stone plāk-¹ in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Probably of Scandinavian origin Swedish flaga gust of wind

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition