Well, in my opinion, one of the biggest shortcomings of a definition
is that it is always based on several other definitions. For instance
if you define a calf as a baby cow, now you need the definition of
baby and the definition of cow. Is a sea cow a cow? And even if you
agree on what a cow is in general, what is meant here? Isn't a baby
bull a calf? Does that mean that a bull is a cow? Also, how young
does an animal have to be to considered a baby? So you see, any
definition assumes some understood terms. And, no matter how specific
you try to be with a definition, it is always at least somewhat open
to interpretation. Have I helped define some of the ways that
definitions fail?

--- In platonicsolids@yahoogroups.com, "eurciolo45" <eurciolo45@...>
wrote:
>
> I have a question on my homework that says explain how the
definition fails and in what
> experiences.
>
> please help me :)
>