dēfectĭo, ōnis, f. [deficio].
I Defection, desertion, rebellion, revolt .
A 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.—*
B Trop.: intemperantia, quae est a tota mente et a recta ratione defectio, Cic. Tusc. 4, 9, 22.—
II (Acc. to deficio, no. III.) A failing, failure, deficiency, want, disappearance .
a Lit. (so most freq.): ista ipsa defectio virium adolescentiae vitiis efficitur saepius quam senectutis, Cic. de Sen. 9, 29: aquarum, Front. Aquaed. 91: pecuniae, Macr. Sat. 2, 5: rerum, Sen. Q. N. 4, 2.—
b 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, 112; 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.—
c Also (sc. virium), exhaustion, faintness, swooning, fainting (post-Aug. prose), Plin. 23, praef. § 4: animae, a swoon, Cels. 7, 33; Suet. Cal. 50: alvo usque ad defectionem soluta, id. Vesp. 24; cf. id. Tib. 73: recreandae defectioni cibum adferre, Tac. A. 6, 56 (50); cf.: defectione perire, by exhaustion , i. e. by disease , Sen. N. Q. 2, 59, 11: in cunctis renibus, Vulg. Nahum 2, 10.—
d 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.— *
B Trop.: Quintus frater omnia mittit spei plena, metuens credo defectionem animi mei, my want of courage, despondency , Cic. Att. 3, 18.