Circles vowel in error (5)
I believe the answer is:
lapse
'error' is the definition.
(lapse is a kind of error)
'circles vowel' is the wordplay.
'circles' becomes 'laps' ('lap' can be a synonym of 'circle').
'vowel' becomes 'e'.
'laps'+'e'='LAPSE'
'in' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for lapse that I've seen before include "moral shortcoming" , "Interval" , "Negligence" , "Brief decline from high standards" , "Slip-up" .)