geek

noun

ˈgēk 

1

: a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked

2

: an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity

computer geek

3

: a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake

geekiness noun

geeky

ˈgē-kē 

adjective

Did you know?

Of Nerds, Geeks, and Dorks

This trio of words historically refers to the uncool among us. Dork, when used to refer to a socially awkward or inept person, is a relatively recent word: our records indicate that it first appeared in writing in the 1960s. Two of its synonyms in this sense are likewise of fairly recent vintage. Nerd (typically used of a studious species of dork) dates from the 1950s; it may have been coined by Dr. Seuss in his 1950 book If I Ran the Zoo, although not in the sense that we use today. Nerd is now often used in a neutral fashion to denote enthusiasm or expertise (theater nerd) or proudly as a self-identifying trait (word nerd). Geek became synonymous with nerd in the 1950s and has similarly seen increasing use with positive connotations, highlighting membership in a specialized group (film geek, beer geek) rather than social awkwardness. In its earliest meanings, geek referred to, among other things, a carnival performer who would bite the head off a live chicken, or other small animal, as part of an act.

Synonyms

• bookworm
• dink [slang]
• dork [slang]
• grind
• nerd
• swot [British]
• weenie
• wonk

Examples of geek in a Sentence

He was a real geek in high school.

was quickly stereotyped as another computer geek

Recent Examples on the Web

One cool moment for some of the basketball geeks in attendance came when Biden mentioned that the Celtics set a new NBA record for points per possession. —Jay King, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024

For those seeking a more professional edge, the Tormek T1 is gaining attention among knife geeks. —David Hochman, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024

If Halloween brings out the freaks, Red October brings out the sports geeks. —Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 8 Oct. 2024

He’s supposed to be the foulmouthed, gutter-minded, fourth-wall-breaking goofball of the Marvel empire, a darling to both comic geeks and those who imagine themselves above the superhero fray. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably from English dialect geek, geck fool, from Low German geck, from Middle Low German

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing geek

• geek out