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A figure included in a calculation to account for some unquantified but significant phenomenon or to ensure a desired result. Fudge, apparently originating in the mid 18th century as an exclamation of disgust or irritation, acquired a specific verbal sense in printers' jargon of the late 18th century, meaning to ‘do work imperfectly or as best one can with the materials available’.
Reference entries
fudge factor
in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable(2)Length: 64 words
See Also
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