▁a ▁moth ▁stuck ▁in ▁a ▁relay ▁and ▁thereby ▁imp eding ▁operation , ▁where up on ▁she ▁remarked ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁" debug ging " ▁the ▁system . ▁However , ▁the ▁term ▁" bug ", ▁in ▁the ▁sense ▁of ▁" techn ical ▁error ", ▁dates ▁back ▁at ▁least ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁and ▁Thomas ▁Ed ison ▁( see ▁software ▁bug ▁for ▁a ▁full ▁discussion ). ▁Similarly , ▁the ▁term ▁" debug ging " ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁term ▁in ▁aer onaut ics ▁before ▁entering ▁the ▁world ▁of ▁computers . ▁Indeed , ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁Grace ▁Ho pper ▁remarked ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁not ▁co ining ▁the ▁term . ▁The ▁moth ▁fit ▁the ▁already ▁existing ▁termin ology , ▁so ▁it ▁was ▁saved . ▁A ▁letter ▁from ▁J . ▁Robert ▁O ppen heimer ▁( direct or ▁of ▁the ▁W W II ▁atomic ▁bomb ▁" Man h attan " ▁project ▁at ▁Los ▁Al amos , ▁N M ) ▁used ▁the ▁term ▁in ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁Dr . ▁Ernest ▁Lawrence ▁at ▁U C ▁Ber keley , ▁dated ▁October ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁regarding ▁the ▁rec ruit ment ▁of ▁additional ▁technical ▁staff . ▁ ▁The ▁Oxford ▁English ▁Dictionary ▁entry ▁for ▁" debug " ▁quotes ▁the ▁term ▁" debug ging " ▁used ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁air plane ▁engine ▁testing ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁article ▁in ▁the ▁Journal ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Aer onaut ical ▁Society . ▁An ▁article ▁in ▁" A ir force " ▁( J une ▁