The term "dropout" means a child who quits school before graduation. Compare pushout, a child counseled or forced out of school before graduation.
The term dropout has the following meanings:
1. In a communications system, a momentary loss of signal.
Note: Dropouts are usually caused by noise, propagation anomalies, or system malfunctions.
2. A failure to read properly a binary character from data storage.
Note: A dropout is usually caused by a defect in the storage medium or by a malfunction of the read mechanism.
3. In magnetic tape, disk, card, or drum systems, a recorded signal with an amplitude less than a predetermined percentage of a reference signal.
Source: from Federal Standard 1037C and from MIL-STD-188Telecommunication