Fudge factor
WordNet
noun
(1) A quantity that is added or subtracted in order to increase the accuracy of a scientific measure
WiktionaryText
Noun
fudge factor
- A quantity introduced to compensate for uncertainty.
- We don't know exactly how much the load will weigh, so we'll add in a fudge factor to make sure we don't underestimate.
- any padding or compensation built into a guess or estimate