dēfectĭo (noun F) : deficio.
* Defection, desertion, rebellion, revolt.
* Lit.: rebellio facta post deditionem, defectio datis obsidibus,Caes. B. G. 3, 10; 5, 26; 6, 3, 4; Liv. 7, 42; 23, 12: Ampsivariorum a tergo, in the rear (of Caesar), Tac. A. 2, 8; 4, 24 et saep.: subita defectio Pompeii,Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 4, 4 al.: imperii,from the empire,Just. 41, 2, 1.—*
* (Acc. to deficio, no. III.) A failing, failure, deficiency, want, disappearance.
* Lit. (so most freq.): ista ipsa defectio virium adolescentiae vitiis efficitur saepius quam senectutis,Cic. de Sen. 9, 29: aquarum, Frontin. Aquaed. 91: pecuniae,Macr. Sat. 2, 5: rerum,Sen. Q. N. 4, 2.
* Esp. of the obscuration of the heavenly bodies, an eclipse: solis defectiones itemque lunae praedicuntur in multos annos,Cic. Div. 2, 6, 17; 1, 49 fin.; id. N. D. 2, 61; id. Rep. 1, 14 fin.; Sen. Q. N. 1, 12; Quint. 1, 10, 47; Tac. A. 1, 28 et saep.
* Trop.: Quintus frater omnia mittit spei plena, metuens credo defectionem animi mei,my want of courage, despondency,Cic. Att. 3, 18.
* In the later grammarians, an ellipsis: dicere aliquid per defectionem,by ellipsis, elliptically,Gell. 5, 8, 3; 12, 14, 3; Macr. Sat. 6, 8 al.— *

s. TLL