workaroundn.
/ˈwəːkəraʊnd/, U.S. /ˈwərkəˌraʊnd/ Originally Aeronautics.
A (usually temporary or makeshift) means of bypassing or resolving a technical difficulty when a system, procedure, or mechanism fails to work; (Computing) a method of overcoming a performance issue or limitation in a program. Now also more generally: a means of avoiding or resolving a problem when the usual or most obvious solution is not feasible, possible, or available.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > expediency > [noun] > an expedient but temporary solution
quick-fix1896
magic formula1910
workaround1961
1961 Aerospace Engin. Nov. 7/1 The volume of changes being fed in by the development program..and budget limitations [are] preventing enough flexibility to invoke work-arounds to meet program demands.
1965 Oakland (Calif.) Tribune 12 Sept. 22/3 Meanwhile, time is a-wastin', and Project Apollo executives are trying short-cuts, improvisations and ‘work-arounds’ to keep the moon schedule from slipping out of the '60s and into the '70s.
1972 New Scientist 14 Dec. 645/2 Launch Control announced that everyone was happy with the ‘workaround’ solution devised at Huntsville and the count was resumed at 12.25.
1991 Sunday Herald (Melbourne) (Nexis) 24 Feb. It may require some workarounds. If we've got to go through smoke, we know how to do that.
1992 MacUser Nov. 230/3 Some networking bugs require workarounds.
2007 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 7 Jan. i. 10/5 Without the proper Iraqi legal documents, Task Force 134 would not hand over Mr. Hussein... Workarounds for the legal problems were discussed.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, September 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1961