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glitch: msg#00002

culture.language.word-of-the-day

Subject: glitch

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The Word of the Day for September 3 is:

glitch \GLITCH\ noun
1 : a usually minor malfunction, defect, fault, flaw, or
imperfection
2 : a minor problem that causes a temporary setback
*3 : a false or spurious electronic signal

Example sentence:
A glitch in the program yielded some very odd results.

Did you know?
There's a glitch in the etymology of "glitch" -- the
origins of the word are not known for sure, though it may derive
from the Yiddish "glitsh," meaning "slippery place." The first
documented use of "glitch" in print in English is found in
astronaut John Glenn's 1962 book _Into Orbit_. In it he
wrote, "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." The word "glitch" began as a
technical term, and then quickly acquired a more general sense
of "minor malfunction." Later, it came to be used technically
once again to describe the misbehavior of computer programs.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.





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