Definition of kludge
: a system and especially a computer system made up of poorly matched components
kludgy
or less commonlykludgey
\ˈklü-jē, US also and British especially ˈklə-\ adjectiveIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
kludge was our Word of the Day on 07/31/2014. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Recent Examples of kludge from the Web
-
Meant to evoke something sporty, like a jet ski, instead of a lumbering Cessna or a tough-to-fly experimental kludge, the plane is supposed to let anyone who can afford the $139,000 price tag become a barnstormer.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kludge'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
The first recorded use of the word kludge is attributed to Jackson W. Granholm, who defined the word in a 1962 issue of the magazine Datamation as: "an ill-assorted collection of poorly-matching parts, forming a distressing whole." He further explained that it was derived from the German word klug, meaning "smart" or "witty." Why Granholm included a "d" in his spelling is not known. What we do know is that speakers of American English have agreed to keep it silent, making the vowel pronunciation of kludge reflect the pronunciation of German klug (KLOOK). We can also tell you that not everyone agrees with Granholm on the "d" matter: the spelling "kluge" is also popularly used.
Origin and Etymology of kludge
origin unknown
KLUDGE Defined for English Language Learners
kludge
playDefinition of kludge for English Language Learners
-
: an awkward or inferior computer system or program that is created quickly to solve a problem
Learn More about kludge
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up kludge? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!