/di fawlt"/ , n.
1. failure to act; inaction or neglect: They lost their best client by sheer default.
2. failure to meet financial obligations.
3. Law. failure to perform an act or obligation legally required, esp. to appear in court or to plead at a time assigned.
4. Sports. failure to arrive in time for, participate in, or complete a scheduled match.
5. lack; want; absence.
6. Computers. a value that a program or operating system assumes, or a course of action that a program or operating system will take, when the user or programmer specifies no overriding value or action.
v.i.
7. to fail in fulfilling or satisfying an engagement, claim, or obligation.
8. to fail to meet financial obligations or to account properly for money in one's care: When he defaulted in his payments, the bank foreclosed on the car.
9. Law. to fail to appear in court.
10. Sports.
a. to fail to participate in or complete a match.
b. to lose a match by default.
v.t.
11. to fail to perform or pay: to default a debt.
12. to declare to be in default, esp. legally: The judge defaulted the defendant.
13. Sports.
a. to fail to compete in (a scheduled game, race, etc.).
b. to lose by default.
14. Law. to lose by failure to appear in court.
[ 1175-1225; ME defau ( l ) te defalte, OF defaute, deriv. of defaillir, after faute, faillir. See DE-, FAULT, FAIL ]