| Definitions | | kludge |
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noun
- (context, electronics engineering) an improvised device, usually crudely constructed. Typically used to test the validity of a principle before doing a finished design.
- (context, general) any construction or practice, typically inelegant, designed to solve a problem temporarily or expediently
- (software) an amalgamated mass of totally unrelated parts forming a distressing whole from the Datamation article mentioned in the Usage Note below
verb (kludges, kludged, kludged, kludging)
- to build or use a kludge
Etymology: Perhaps from British military slang, possibly based on Scots word (term, kludge) or (term, kludgie, , common toilet) or from the German (term, klug, , clever); possibly related to Polish and Russian (term, klucz, , a key, a hint, a main point)There is evidence that (term, kluge) was once a separate word with similar meaning but separate derivation, but the spelling (term, kludge) was widely popularized in the U.S. by a 1962 w:Datamation, Datamation article, "How to Design a Kludge".
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