bloat

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   unnecessary size, complexity, or excess, especially in software or organizations

   The settings panel had accumulated years of product bloat.

2. 2
   verb

   to make or become swollen or larger than necessary

   Unused dependencies bloated the application bundle.

3. 3
   noun

   swelling caused by gas or fluid, especially in the digestive tract

   The medicine helped reduce abdominal bloat after meals.

Probably from Middle English blot or blout (soft, pliable), related to Old Norse blautr (soft). The figurative software sense treats excess size as swelling.

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