Glitch

A glitch is a brief, unexpected malfunction or irregularity in a system, especially in electronic devices, software, or digital media. Glitches are typically transient and minor rather than full-scale failures, and they may stem from timing or synchronization errors, electrical interference, or rare hardware faults.

The word's precise origin is uncertain, but glitch entered technical usage in the mid-20th century and has since become common in computing, gaming, and media. It is used to describe both accidental irregularities and intentional distortions that imitate malfunctions.

In software and video games, glitches can produce incorrect graphics, corrupted data, erratic behavior, or crashes. In hardware, glitches may arise from timing hazards, race conditions, or electrical noise. In digital media, glitches are often reproduced deliberately to create visual or auditory artifacts.

Glitch art and glitch music repurpose failures as aesthetic material, using data bending, file corruption, or circuit bending to produce unpredictable results. The term has entered broader culture as a metaphor for unexpected disruptions in technology and daily life.

In science, a pulsar glitch refers to a sudden, small increase in rotational speed, revealing details about neutron stars. The concept of a glitch thus spans practical malfunctions, artistic practice, and scientific phenomena.