glitch — a sudden malfunction or fault in a system, especially a computer system
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a sudden malfunction or fault in a system, especially a computer system
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɡlɪtʃ/
Example Sentences
- My presentation was going perfectly until a glitch made my slides show pictures of cats instead of sales charts.
- The GPS glitched and told us to turn right into the ocean.
- We experienced a brief glitch in our payment system this morning.
glitch
NOUN[/ɡlɪtʃ/]
a sudden malfunction or fault in a system, especially a computer system
Computer system suddenly malfunctions
The witch hits the switch to fix the glitch!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The term emerged in the 1960s during the American space program to describe temporary malfunctions in electronic equipment. It possibly derives from the German adjective 'glitschig' (slippery), as the metaphorical connection between something slipping or sliding and a system's momentary failure became useful technical jargon.
Breakdown
glitschig (German: slippery) → glitch, where the semantic shift from 'slippery' to 'temporary malfunction' reflects the idea of something going awry or sliding out of proper operation in electronic systems.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My presentation was going perfectly until a glitch made my slides show pictures of cats instead of sales charts.”
“The GPS glitched and told us to turn right into the ocean.”
“We experienced a brief glitch in our payment system this morning.”
“The live broadcast glitched right when the reporter was about to reveal the big news.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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