Glitch

WORD OF THE DAY

glitch / noun / GLITCH

Definition
1a: a usually minor malfunction
1b: bug
1c: a minor problem that causes a temporary setback
1d: snag
2: a false or spurious electronic signal

Examples
"The weekend's exercise, which NASA calls a wet dress rehearsal, is the last major test before the rocket is launched on its first uncrewed test flight, which could occur as soon as this summer. By simulating a countdown without the excitement of engines igniting and a rocket rising to space, NASA hoped to work out glitches with equipment and procedures."
— Kenneth Chang, The New York Times, 4 Apr. 2022

During the 14 ½-hour flight from Hickam, a mechanical glitch prevented the plane from jettisoning three empty fuel tanks, and the P-82 fought drag from the unwanted weight and strong headwinds.
— Star Tribune, 26 Dec. 2020

Did You Know?
There's a glitch in the etymology of glitch—the origins of the word are not known for sure, though it may derive from the Yiddish glitsh, meaning "slippery place."
Glitch started showing up in print in English in the mid-20th century in reference to a brief unexpected surge of electrical current.
The term was new enough in 1962 that the astronaut John Glenn, writing in the book Into Orbit, felt the need to explain the term to his readers: "Literally, a glitch is a spike or change in voltage in an electrical circuit which takes place when the circuit suddenly has a new load put on it."
Today, you don't have to be an astronaut to be familiar with the word glitch, which can be used of any minor malfunction or snag.