1. A factory test designed to catch systems with {marginal}
components before they get out the door; the theory is that burn-in
will protect customers by outwaiting the steepest part of the
{bathtub curve} (see {infant mortality}).
2. A period of indeterminate length in which a person using a
computer is so intensely involved in his project that he forgets
basic needs such as food, drink, sleep, etc. Warning: Excessive
burn-in can lead to burn-out. See {hack mode}, {larval stage}.
Historical note: the origin of "burn-in" (sense 1) is apparently the
practice of setting a new-model airplane's brakes on fire, then
extinguishing the fire, in order to make them hold better. This was
done on the first version of the U.S. spy-plane, the U-2.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {bathtub curve}{infant mortality}]