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lossy

adjective \ ˈlȯ-sē \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of lossy

: causing attenuation or dissipation of electrical energy

a lossy transmission line

a lossy dielectric

Recent Examples of lossy from the Web

There are plenty of ways, from cutting out or freezing frames, messing with transparency, cutting the resolution, choosing a smaller color palette, or mixing a few different forms of visible and lossy compression techniques.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "The GIF Is Dead. Long Live the GIF.," 18 Aug. 2016

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

First Known Use of lossy

1946

in the meaning defined above

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