rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryglitchTemporary malfunction
noun / verb

glitch

GLITCH/ɡlɪtʃ/

A brief fault or failure to work properly.

The screen glitches into scrambled pixels before returning to normal.

A text-free three-stage sequence of the same computer display: a simple landscape appears normally, briefly develops a small band of scrambled pixels, then returns to normal.
Etymology

Glitch possibly comes from Yiddish glitsh, “a slip,” though a direct German origin is also suggested. It apparently began as engineering jargon before broadening to a small, temporary fault.

In context

IBM Technology2:03
Sometimes you get a little glitch that resolves itself automatically. You're still going to want to run an RCA process on that and you want to know what caused the glitch.
What is Root Cause Analysis (RCA)?

More examples

  • A glitch interrupted the call.
  • The display glitched twice.
  • The program is glitching again.

Forms

glitch · glitches · glitched · glitching

Similar words

fault
Can be persistent rather than brief.
hiccup
An informal metaphor for a small temporary interruption.