- fault, geological fault, shift, fracture, break - (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other; "they built it right over a geological fault"
--1 is a kind of crack, cleft, crevice, fissure, scissure
--1 has parts: fault line
--1 has particulars:Denali Fault; inclined fault; San Andreas Fault; strike-slip fault