Default

7 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Default \De*fault"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Defaulted}; p. pr. &
     vb. n. {Defaulting}.]
     1. To fail in duty; to offend.
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              That he gainst courtesy so foully did default.


                                                    --Spenser.
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     2. To fail in fulfilling a contract, agreement, or duty.
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     3. To fail to appear in court; to let a case go by default.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Default \De*fault"\, n. [OE. defaute, OF. defaute, defalte,
     fem., F. d['e]faut, masc., LL. defalta, fr. a verb meaning,
     to be deficient, to want, fail, fr. L. de- + fallere to
     deceive. See {Fault}.]
     1. A failing or failure; omission of that which ought to be
        done; neglect to do what duty or law requires; as, this
        evil has happened through the governor's default.
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     2. Fault; offense; ill deed; wrong act; failure in virtue or
        wisdom.
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              And pardon craved for his so rash default.
                                                    --Spenser.
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              Regardless of our merit or default.   --Pope.
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     3. (Law) A neglect of, or failure to take, some step
        necessary to secure the benefit of law, as a failure to
        appear in court at a day assigned, especially of the
        defendant in a suit when called to make answer; also of
        jurors, witnesses, etc.
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     {In default of}, in case of failure or lack of.
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              Cooks could make artificial birds and fishes in
              default of the real ones.             --Arbuthnot.
  
     {To suffer a default} (Law), to permit an action to be called
        without appearing to answer.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Default \De*fault"\, v. t.
     1. To fail to perform or pay; to be guilty of neglect of; to
        omit; as, to default a dividend.
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              What they have defaulted towards him as no king.
                                                    --Milton.
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     2. (Law) To call a defendant or other party whose duty it is
        to be present in court, and make entry of his default, if
        he fails to appear; to enter a default against.
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     3. To leave out of account; to omit. [Obs.]
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              Defaulting unnecessary and partial discourses.
                                                    --Hales.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  default
       n 1: loss due to not showing up; "he lost the game by default"
       2: act of failing to meet a financial obligation [syn: {nonpayment},
           {nonremittal}]
       3: loss resulting from failure of a debt to be paid [syn: {nonpayment},
           {nonremittal}] [ant: {payment}]
       4: an option that is selected automatically unless an
          alternative is specified [syn: {default option}]
       v : fail to pay up [syn: {default on}] [ant: {pay up}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  168 Moby Thesaurus words for "default":
     AWOL, French leave, abscondence, absence, absence without leave,
     absentation, absenteeism, absenting, arrear, arrearage, arrears,
     back debts, back payments, bad debt, be absent, be bereaved of,
     be caught napping, be neglectful, be negligent, bouncing check,
     come up short, culpa, culpable negligence, cut, day off, dearth,
     decline, defalcation, defect, defection, defectiveness,
     deferred payments, deficiency, deficit, deficit financing,
     delinquence, delinquency, departure, dereliction, disallow,
     disappearance, disconformity, dishonor, dishonoring, disregard,
     dollar gap, drop, escape, excused absence, fail, fail to appear,
     failure, fall short, falling short, fault, fleeing, forfeit,
     furlough, gloss over, go astray from, holiday, hooky, ignore,
     imperfection, inaction, inadequacy, inadvertence, inadvertency,
     inattention, incur loss, inferiority, inobservance, insufficiency,
     keep away, kiss good-bye, laches, lack, laissez-faire, lapse,
     laxity, laxness, leave, leave of absence, leaving, let go,
     let ride, let slide, let slip, levant, looseness, lose, lose out,
     lose sight of, lose track of, mislay, misplace, miss, neglect,
     neglectfulness, negligence, nod, nonadherence, nonappearance,
     nonattendance, noncompliance, nonconformance, nonconformity,
     nondischarge of debts, nonfeasance, nonfulfillment,
     noninterference, nonobservance, nonpayment, nonperformance,
     nonremittal, nonrestriction, not care for, not come,
     not get involved, not heed, not pay, not show up, not think,
     omission, overdraft, overlook, overlooking, oversight, pass over,
     permissiveness, poor stewardship, privation, procrastination,
     protest, protested bill, refuse to pay, remissness, repudiate,
     repudiation, running away, sabbatical leave, sacrifice,
     short measure, shortage, shortcoming, shortfall, sick leave,
     slackness, sleep, slight, slump, stop payment, suffer loss,
     take for granted, truancy, truantism, turn up missing,
     uncollectible, underage, undergo privation, unexcused absence,
     unobservance, unrigorousness, vacation, wander from, want,
     weakness, welsh
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  DEFAULT. The neglect to perform a legal obligation or duty; but in technical 
  language by default is often understood the non-appearance of the defendant 
  within the time prescribed by law, to defend himself; it also signifies the 
  non-appearance of the plaintiff to prosecute his claim. 
       2. When the plaintiff makes default, he may be nonsuited; and when the 
  defendant makes default, judgment by default is rendered against him. Com. 
  Dig. Pleader, E 42 Id. B 11. Vide article Judgment by Default, and 7 Vin. 
  Ab. 429; Doct. Pl. 208 Grah. Pr. 631. See, as to what will excuse or save a 
  default, Co. Litt. 259 b. 
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  DEFAULT, contracts, torts. By the 4th section of the English statute of 
  frauds, 29 Car. H., c. 3, it is enacted that "no action shall be brought to 
  charge the defendant upon any special promise to answer for the debt, 
  default, or miscarriage of another person, unless the agreement," &c., 
  "shall be in writing," &c. By default under this statute is understood the 
  non-performance of duty, though the same be not founded on a contract. 2 B. 
  & A. 516.