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debounce
/diːˈbaʊns/
suppress rapid input signals
The button's signal was debounced to prevent multiple clicks.
The button's input was filtered to ignore unintended rapid presses.
Engineering
technical
To suppress rapid or repeated signals from a hardware input to avoid false triggers.
In digital circuits, debouncing is essential for switches to avoid registering multiple presses from a single physical press.
In hardware design, filtering out quick fluctuations ensures a single switch press is registered correctly.
Commonly used in microcontroller programming and user interface design.
Technology
technical
To delay processing of an event until a specified period of inactivity has passed to avoid handling rapid successive events.
The search bar uses debouncing so it only queries the server after the user stops typing for 300 milliseconds.
The search input waits until typing pauses before sending a request to prevent excessive server load.
Frequently implemented in web development and API design.
Collocations
debounce timethe delay period before processing an eventdebounce delaythe duration set to wait for inactivity
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Choosing Debounce vs Throttle
Use debounce when you want to wait for a pause in activity (e.g., search input). Use throttle when you want to limit the rate of execution but still process events periodically (e.g., scroll events).
Gold Rule
Debounce Implementation Rule
Always set the debounce delay based on user behavior and system responsiveness; too short causes false triggers, too long feels sluggish.
Word Origin
From 'de-' (prefix meaning 'to remove') + 'bounce' (referring to rapid signal fluctuations), first used in electronics engineering circa mid-20th century.
Usage Notes
Primarily a technical term in engineering and software development; avoid using in non-technical contexts unless explaining the concept.
Word Breakdown
de-
prefix meaning 'to remove' or 'reduce'
prefixbounce
rapid signal fluctuation or repeated triggering
rootEnglish Dictionary