glitch

noun \ ˈglich \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of glitch

1 a : a usually minor malfunction

a glitch in a spacecraft's fuel cell

; also : ¹bug 2

b : a minor problem that causes a temporary setback : snag

2 : a false or spurious electronic signal

—

glitchy

\ˈgli-chē\ adjective

See glitch defined for English-language learners

See glitch defined for kids

glitch was our Word of the Day on 10/17/2009. Hear the podcast!

Examples of glitch in a Sentence

Glitches in the speaker's schedule caused some delays.
A technical glitch caused a temporary shutdown.

Recent Examples of glitch from the Web

The kiosks eliminate the slower process of poll workers checking for voters on paper registries or glitch-prone e-pollbooks, while maintaining identity-verification measures required by law.

— rebekah l. sanders, azcentral, "Voting in 2018 might go faster than ever before, county elections chief says," 11 Apr. 2018
Similar bounty programs that look for software bugs have long been used by companies to crowd source the search for glitches that can lead to security problems.

— elizabeth weise, USA TODAY, "Know of an app that's abusing Facebook user data? It could be worth $40,000," 10 Apr. 2018
Chad was put on the list last September because of an office supply glitch that prevented it from supplying homeland security officials with recent samples of its passports.

— Fox News, "White House removes African nation of Chad from travel ban list," 10 Apr. 2018
Christian Villanueva, somewhat like Logan Forsythe in his Pads days, has a swing glitch that encourages pitchers to pound him under the hands.

— tom krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Good news for another sluggish Padres team: Fans care enough to be salty," 9 Apr. 2018
Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal A computer glitch at the SkyStar Observation Wheel left those looking for a unique view of the Ohio River standing in the cold on Saturday night.

— bobby shipman, The Courier-Journal, "SkyStar Observation Wheel at Big Four Bridge closes early after glitch leads to evacuation," 7 Apr. 2018
In another glitch, in some cases, not all of the resident’s vehicles appeared on the renewal letters and the village’s online portal.

— daniel i. dorfman, chicagotribune.com, "Some senior citizens charged double in Glencoe license renewal glitch," 30 Mar. 2018
Hundreds of my phone interviews happened without a glitch, including conversations with Dave Grohl, B.B. King and members of the Grateful Dead.

— david lindquist, Indianapolis Star, "Lindquist: Hanging up on Don Henley, a cold call from Billy Joel and other odd phone stories," 9 Mar. 2018
The new system, called MNLARS, has frustrated consumers and registrars alike with glitches, lengthy workarounds and long delays.

— youssef rddad, The Seattle Times, "Fixes for tax filing, license system on tap for session," 17 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'glitch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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." Today, you don't have to be an astronaut to be familiar with the word glitch, which can be used of any minor malfunction or snag.

Origin and Etymology of glitch

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1958

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

GLITCH Defined for English Language Learners

glitch

noun

Definition of glitch for English Language Learners

: an unexpected and usually minor problem; especially : a minor problem with a machine or device (such as a computer)

GLITCH Defined for Kids

glitch

noun \ ˈglich \

Definition of glitch for Students

: a usually minor problem

Learn More about glitch

See words that rhyme with glitch Spanish Central: Translation of glitch Nglish: Translation of glitch for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of glitch for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about glitch

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Definition of glitch

glitchy

glitch was our Word of the Day on 10/17/2009. Hear the podcast!

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glitch

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glitchy

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