fuzz

Fuzz is a term with several distinct meanings in different fields. In music and audio engineering, fuzz denotes a type of distortion effect that produces a compressed, clipped waveform and a gritty, buzzy tone. It originated in the 1960s with the first fuzz pedals and transistor-based circuits such as the Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone and the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff. Fuzz tones are associated with many rock and psychedelic artists, and continue to be a staple of guitar timbres.

In computing, fuzzing or fuzz testing is a software testing technique that supplies a program with large volumes of invalid, random, or malformed inputs to provoke crashes, memory leaks, or other vulnerabilities. It is widely used in security testing and quality assurance, often aided by automated fuzzing tools that monitor for abnormal behavior and program faults.

In slang, "the fuzz" refers to police. The term has appeared in various forms of media and subcultures and is used informally to reference law enforcement.

In everyday language, fuzz also refers to fine, soft hair on skin or fruit, such as peach fuzz, or to a fuzzy texture in materials and fabrics.