the.com/buzzer
The tiny tyrant that turns waiting into anxiety and confidence into instant regret.
means A small electrical device that produces a sharp humming or droning sound to signal, alert, or summon — used in games, doorways, and timed contests.
from Pure imitation: 'buzz' arrived in English around the 16th century as an echo of the low droning hum a bee or fly makes — the word itself sounds like the thing. Tack on the agent suffix '-er' (as in 'opener' or 'heater') and you get 'the thing that buzzes,' a name as plain as the noise it describes.
- Game shows
- Lockout systems detect winners in milliseconds
- Old tech
- Electromechanical buzzers vibrate a metal contact rapidly
- Restaurant pagers
- Use radio frequencies to summon hungry diners
- Sports
- The buzzer-beater ends games in pure chaos
- Sound
- Harsh tone is deliberately unpleasant to grab attention
jeopardy contestant buzzer — electromagnetic device used in the game show since 1964, famously difficult to master with precise timing
nba shot clock buzzer — 24-second warning sound in professional basketball, integral to game flow since 1985-86 season
quiz bowl buzzer systems — lockout devices used in high school and college competitive quizzing tournaments nationwide