glitch

noun

ˈglich 

1

a

: a usually minor malfunction

a glitch in a spacecraft's fuel cell

also : bug entry 1 sense 2

b

: a minor problem that causes a temporary setback : snag

2

: a false or spurious electronic signal

glitchy

ˈgli-chē

adjective

Did you know?

There's a glitch in the etymology of glitch—it may come from the Yiddish glitsh, meaning "slippery place," but that's not certain. Print use of glitch referring to a brief unexpected surge of electrical current dates to the mid-20th century. Astronaut John Glenn, in his 1962 book Into Orbit, felt the need to explain the term to his readers: "Literally, a glitch is a spike or change in voltage in an electrical circuit which takes place when the circuit suddenly has a new load put on it." Today, the word can be used of any minor malfunction or snag. If you’re a gamer you might even take advantage of a glitch that causes something unexpected, and sometimes beneficial, to happen in the game.

Examples of glitch in a Sentence

Glitches in the speaker's schedule caused some delays.

A technical glitch caused a temporary shutdown.

Recent Examples on the Web

The risk of incorrect outputs or dangerous guidance remains a concern, as glitches can show up in even the most sophisticated LLMs. —Chris Westfall, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Widespread glitches and delays this year with the new version of the FAFSA, which millions of students rely on annually to pay for college, prompted bipartisan scrutiny of the Biden administration's handling of its rollout. —Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024

It can also be triggered by app or browser glitches, and is usually out of the user's control. —Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 11 Dec. 2024

Any random glitch that flips the value of a bit will cause an error. —Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Yiddish glitsh slippery place, from glitshn (zikh) to slide, glide; akin to Old High German glītan to glide — more at glide

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

glitch

noun

ˈglich 

: an unexpected usually minor problem

glitches in a new computer program