default

default [dē fôlt′, difôlt′]

n.

[ME < OFr defaute < VL * defallita, pp. of * defallere, to lack < L de-, away + fallere, to FAIL]

1. failure to do something or be somewhere when required or expected; specif.,

a) failure to pay money due

b) failure to appear in court to defend or prosecute a case

c) failure to take part in or finish a contest

2. Comput. a preset choice, setting, etc. for automatic use as by a program when no other is specified by a user: often used attributively [a default disk drive on a PC]

3. Obs. a fault, lack, or want

vi.

[ME defauten < OFr defauter]

1. to fail to do something or be somewhere when required or expected; specif.,

a) to fail to make payment when due

b) to fail to appear in court when required

c) to fail to take part in or finish a contest

2. to lose a contest by default

vt.

1. to fail to do, pay, finish, etc. (something) when required

2. to lose (a contest, etc.) by default; forfeit

——————

in default of

in the absence of; through lack of

defaulter

n.