glitch
/ɡlɪtʃ/
noun
Origin
Yiddish
glitsh — a slippery place or a slide
Overview
Meaning Now
- A sudden, usually temporary malfunction or fault of equipment, a system, or a computer program.
- A minor error or snag that causes a delay or prevents something from working perfectly.
Language path
German → Yiddish → English
Earliest form
glitch
Earliest period
1962
Journey
The term was popularized in the 1960s by astronauts and engineers in the U.S. space program to describe minor technical anomalies that were annoying but not catastrophic. It later gained broad cultural currency in the computing era to describe any digital defect.
Evolution
- Middle High German
glitzen
“to slide or slip”
- Yiddish
glitsh
“a slip or a sliding event”
- 20th Century English
glitch
“a technical snag or malfunction”
Entered American English via Yiddish-speaking communities in the U.S.
Connections
Word parts
glitch
root
a slip or malfunction
Related across languages
German
glitschen
to slide or skid
Explore next
Related to glitch
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.