fail-safe
Definition
Adjective:
- Designed to eliminate danger by compensating automatically for a failure or malfunction: A "fail-safe" system or device is built to automatically prevent a dangerous situation if something goes wrong.
- Guaranteed not to fail; foolproof: In a more general sense, "fail-safe" can describe a plan or method that is considered certain to succeed.
Noun:
- A mechanism capable of returning to a safe state in case of failure: A "fail-safe" is the specific feature or system that provides this automatic safety.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The elevator has a fail-safe brake that engages if the cable snaps.
- For a fail-safe party dessert, I always make chocolate mousse.
- Noun:
- The reactor's primary fail-safe is a set of control rods that drop into the core to stop the reaction.
Advanced Usage
- Used as a verb (less common): To design or equip something with fail-safe features.
- The engineers fail-safed the new design with multiple backup systems.
Variants and Related Words
- Fail-safe (as a hyphenated compound): The standard form when used as an adjective or noun before another noun (e.g., a fail-safe mechanism).
- Failsafe (as a single word): An accepted variant spelling, especially in technical contexts.
- Failsafing (n): The process of making something fail-safe.
Synonyms
- Adjective: Foolproof, infallible, reliable, secure, guaranteed.
- Noun: Safety mechanism, backup, safeguard, precaution.
Related Phrases
- Fail-safe design: An engineering philosophy where the default state of a system in the event of a failure is a safe one.
- Fail-safe position: The specific state (like "off" or "locked") a device assumes when it fails.
Adjective
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eliminating danger by compensating automatically for a failure or malfunction
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a fail-safe device in a nuclear weapon to deactivate it automatically in the event of accident
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guaranteed not to fail
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a fail-safe recipe for cheese souffle
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Noun
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a mechanism capable of returning to a safe state in case there is a failure or malfunction
