Frenkel defect

noun

A type of point defect in crystalline solids, occurring when an atom or smaller ion (usually cation) leaves its place in the lattice, creating a vacancy, and becomes an interstitial by lodging in a nearby location.

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Meanings

nounFrenkel defect (plural Frenkel defects)

plural Frenkel defects

  1. chemistryA type of point defect in crystalline solids, occurring when an atom or smaller ion (usually cation) leaves its place in the lattice, creating a vacancy, and becomes an interstitial by lodging in a nearby location.

Origin

Named after its discoverer, Yakov Frenkel.

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Cite this entry
APA

Frenkel defect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Frenkel%20defect

MLA

“Frenkel defect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Frenkel%20defect. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Frenkel defect,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Frenkel%20defect.

Source: Frenkel defect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.