What is the differnece between defict and debt?

Deficit refers to the shortfall that occurs when a government's expenditures exceed its revenues in a given period, usually a fiscal year. Debt, on the other hand, is the total amount of money that a government owes, accumulated over time from past deficits. Essentially, a deficit is a flow measure (over a specific period), while debt is a stock measure (total outstanding liabilities at a point in time).