fudge factor
noun1
Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Idiomatic A quantity introduced to compensate for uncertainty.
- We don't know exactly how much the load will weigh, so we'll add in a fudge factor to make sure we don't underestimate.
2
Idiomatic Any padding or compensation built into a guess or estimate.
3
Alternative, Idiomatic variant of "pucker factor", meaning something is/was frightening.
- Related terms
- safety factor