[er.ror] n [ME errour, fr. MF, fr. L error, fr. errare] (13c) 1 a: an act or condition of ignorant or imprudent deviation from a code of behavior b: an act involving an unintentional deviation from truth or accuracy c: an act that through ignorance, deficiency, or accident departs from or fails to achieve what should be done: as (1): a defensive misplay other than a wild pitch or passed ball made by a baseball player when normal play would have resulted in an out or prevented an advance by a base runner (2): the failure of a player (as in tennis) to make a successful return of a ball during play d: a mistake in the proceedings of a court of record in matters of law or of fact
2. a: the quality or state of erring b Christian Science: illusion about the nature of reality that is the cause of human suffering: the contradiction of truth c: an instance of false belief
3: something produced by mistake; esp: a postage stamp exhibiting a consistent flaw (as a wrong color) in its manufacture
4. a: the difference between an observed or calculated value and a true value; specif: variation in measurements, calculations, or observations of a quantity due to mistakes or to uncontrollable factors b: the amount of deviation from a standard or specification
5: a deficiency or imperfection in structure or function "an ~ of metabolism" -- er.ror.less adj syn error, mistake, blunder, slip, lapse mean a departure from what is true, right, or proper. error suggests the existence of a standard or guide and a straying from the right course through failure to make effective use of this "procedural errors". mistake implies misconception or inadvertence and usu. expresses less criticism than error "dialed the wrong number by mistake". blunder regularly imputes stupidity or ignorance as a cause and connotes some degree of blame "diplomatic blunders". slip stresses inadvertence or accident and applies esp. to trivial but embarrassing mistakes "a slip of the tongue". lapse stresses forgetfulness, weakness, or inattention as a cause "a lapse in judgment".