aliasing

noun

1. a jagged, stairstep effect on curved or diagonal lines that are reproduced in low resolution, as on a computer printout or display.

noun

1. radio television the error in a vision or sound signal arising from limitations in the system that generates or processes the signal

1. Jagged distortions in curves and diagonal lines in computer graphics caused by limited or diminished screen resolution. Compare antialiasing.
2. Distortion in a reproduced sound wave caused by a low sampling rate during the recording of the sound signal as digital information.