noun
static
Unwanted interference in a transmitted signal.
Static on the radio makes the weather report hard to hear.
Etymology
The adjective entered electrical language through static electricity. The noun developed for electrical disturbances heard or seen as interference in reception.
More examples
- I hear bursts of static whenever you speak.
- The television picture disappears behind a flickering pattern of static.
- She gets static from her coworkers whenever she changes the schedule.
Similar words
- interference
- Broader term for disturbances that disrupt reception or signal quality.
- noise
- Includes unwanted signal content beyond static's characteristic crackling or speckling.