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gibberish

n.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɡɪbɝɪʃ// UK //dʒˈɪbəɹɪʃ// gib·ber·ish

n. words or sounds that do not make sense because they are not real language. You use this when someone is speaking or writing in a way that is hard to understand.

n. nonsense or meaningless speech or writing. Often used to describe a string of words that lacks a logical structure or coherent meaning.


SIMPLE

The old computer screen filled with gibberish.

CONTEXTUAL

The software crashed and started displaying a stream of gibberish instead of the actual data.

COMPLEX

The encrypted file appeared as a series of random characters to the untrained eye, effectively rendering it as gibberish until the correct key was applied.

Synonyms
Origin

First attested mid-16th century. Origin obscure. Possibly from *gibber, of onomatopoeic origin imitating to the sound of chatter, possibly from or influenced by jabber, + -ish denoting the name of a language (compare English, Finnish, Spanish, etc.). The verb gibber, first attested circa 1600, is usually regarded as a back-formation from gibberish.

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