glitch

A glitch is a momentary voltage surge that lasts only a few milliseconds or microseconds and is caused by an extremely brief voltage change.

In a glitch, the voltage may collapse momentarily or it may be a momentary overvoltage, with immediate impact on the functionality of a circuit. Glitches can be caused by electrostatic discharges or lightning discharges and can be rendered harmless by surge suppressors, stabilization circuits or filters.

Glitches can trigger faulty logic levels at the output of logics and, in television technology, lead to momentary picture errors and artifacts. In audio technology, glitches are noticeable in the form of brief sound interruptions, distortion and noise.