Electrostatic Discharge - the sudden flow of electricity between two electrically charged objects caused by contact or dielectric breakdown.
Acronym formed from 'electrostatic discharge,' with 'electrostatic' from Greek 'elektron' (amber) and 'statos' (standing), and 'discharge' from Old French 'deschargier' (to unload). The term became prominent with the rise of sensitive electronic components in the mid-20th century.
ESD is the bane of electronics manufacturing, yet it's the same phenomenon that creates lightning and the shock you get from touching a doorknob. It's remarkable how something so fundamental to nature - the balancing of electrical charges - became a major engineering challenge in our digital age.
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