Editorial
Tort
Definition
A civil wrong, other than breach of contract, for which the law provides a remedy in damages. Negligence, nuisance, defamation and trespass are torts.
In plain English: A civil wrong someone does to you that is not about breaking a contract — like injuring you through carelessness.
A common law definition. The term may mean something different, or nothing at all, in another legal system.
Usage
The civil law equivalent is delict, which is organised around general clauses rather than separate named torts.