What does kludge mean?
Definitions for kludge
kludʒkludge
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word kludge.
Princeton's WordNet
kludgenoun
a badly assembled collection of parts hastily assembled to serve some particular purpose (often used to refer to computing systems or software that has been badly put together)
Wiktionary
kludgenoun
an improvised device, usually crudely constructed. Typically used to test the validity of a principle before doing a finished design.
kludgenoun
any construction or practice, typically inelegant, designed to solve a problem temporarily or expediently.
kludgenoun
an amalgamated mass of totally unrelated parts forming a distressing whole [from the Datamation article mentioned in the Usage Note below].
kludgeverb
to build or use a kludge
Etymology: Perhaps from British military slang, possibly based on Scots word kludge or kludgie or from the German klug; possibly related to Polish and Russian klucz
Wikipedia
Kludge
A kludge or kluge () is a workaround or quick-and-dirty solution that is clumsy, inelegant, inefficient, difficult to extend and hard to maintain. This term is used in diverse fields such as computer science, aerospace engineering, Internet slang, evolutionary neuroscience, and government. It is similar in meaning to the naval term jury rig.
ChatGPT
kludge
A kludge is a workaround or quick-and-dirty solution that is clumsy, inefficient, inelegant, or difficult to maintain, but resolves an immediate problem or issue. It is often used in context of computer systems, programs or coding, although it can refer to any type of improvised or makeshift solution.
Wikidata
Kludge
A kludge is a workaround, a quick-and-dirty solution, a clumsy, inelegant, difficult to extend, hard to maintain yet effective and quick solution to a problem, and a rough synonym to the terms "jury rig" or "Jugaad". This term is used in diverse fields such as computer science, aerospace engineering, internet slang, and evolutionary neuroscience.
The New Hacker's Dictionary
kludge
1. /kluhj/ n. Incorrect (though regrettably common) spelling of kluge (US). These two words have been confused in American usage since the early 1960s, and widely confounded in Great Britain since the end of World War II. 2. [TMRC] A crock that works. (A long-ago Datamation article by Jackson Granholme similarly said: “An ill-assorted collection of poorly matching parts, forming a distressing whole.”) 3. v. To use a kludge to get around a problem. “I've kludged around it for now, but I'll fix it up properly later.”This word appears to have derived from Scots kludge or kludgie for a common toilet, via British military slang. It apparently became confused with U.S. kluge during or after World War II; some Britons from that era use both words in definably different ways, but kluge is now uncommon in Great Britain. ‘Kludge’ in Commonwealth hackish differs in meaning from ‘kluge’ in that it lacks the positive senses; a kludge is something no Commonwealth hacker wants to be associated too closely with. Also, ‘kludge’ is more widely known in British mainstream slang than ‘kluge’ is in the U.S.
Matched Categories
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
- [["1719","1"],["1729","1"],["1819","1"],["1853","1"],["1859","1"],["1868","1"],["1877","1"],["1887","1"],["1888","1"],["1890","1"],["1893","1"],["1894","1"],["1901","1"],["1902","4"],["1907","1"],["1909","2"],["1912","1"],["1914","1"],["1915","1"],["1919","1"],["1921","2"],["1922","2"],["1925","1"],["1930","2"],["1931","1"],["1935","6"],["1936","1"],["1938","6"],["1941","1"],["1943","2"],["1945","1"],["1946","2"],["1947","2"],["1948","2"],["1949","1"],["1952","1"],["1954","1"],["1957","1"],["1958","2"],["1959","1"],["1960","1"],["1961","3"],["1962","6"],["1963","2"],["1965","4"],["1966","51"],["1967","2"],["1968","5"],["1969","15"],["1970","14"],["1972","17"],["1973","1"],["1974","11"],["1975","15"],["1976","19"],["1977","11"],["1978","18"],["1979","22"],["1980","35"],["1981","33"],["1982","92"],["1983","15"],["1984","98"],["1985","72"],["1986","89"],["1987","104"],["1988","71"],["1989","114"],["1990","156"],["1991","114"],["1992","118"],["1993","189"],["1994","238"],["1995","191"],["1996","217"],["1997","186"],["1998","163"],["1999","149"],["2000","205"],["2001","194"],["2002","280"],["2003","313"],["2004","172"],["2005","161"],["2006","227"],["2007","162"],["2008","147"]]
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of kludge in Chaldean Numerology is: 5
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of kludge in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for kludge
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- كلودجArabic
- kludgeDanish
- kludgeGerman
- κολά� Greek
- torpezaSpanish
- کلاجPersian
- kludgeFinnish
- bidouillerFrench
- gliondarIrish
- խելագարությու� Armenian
- kludgeIndonesian
- kludgeItalian
- 汚物Japanese
- kludgeKannada
- 클러지Korean
- kludgeLatin
- kludgeDutch
- kludgeNorwegian
- gambiarraPortuguese
- костыльRussian
- klumpaSwedish
- קלוגעYiddish
- 拼凑Chinese
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"kludge." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 15 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/kludge>.
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