: 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.
Example Sentences
Glitches in the speaker's schedule caused some delays. A technical glitch caused a temporary shutdown.
Recent Examples on the WebThe car also connects to a 2.4GHz radio system for long-range control and a glitch-free performance. Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 4 Aug. 2022 The glitch for Tsan, a former networking specialist and consultant, was that Paulette had never tried dim sum.Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2022 Even then, the glitch is inconsistent across different hardware; even using input macros that remove timing from the equation doesn't always result in success. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 11 Apr. 2022 The only other glitch that occurred for us during our stay was that management had told us the Club Floor closes at 8PM. Debbi Kickham, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2022 That’s why this latest glitch in payments is so painful.Washington Post, 30 July 2021 After weeks of head scratching and problem solving, old and young engineers determined a glitch in the computer’s power control unit was the likely culprit. David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 July 2021 But late in the evening, Baldwin County officials said a computer glitch had skewed the totals. Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al, 19 Aug. 2022 The computer glitch caused its own set of problems for the nation’s largest airline.CNN, 7 July 2022 See More
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