poindexter

noun

poin·​dex·​ter ˈpȯin(t)-ˌdek-stər 

variants or Poindexter

plural poindexters or Poindexters

US, informal

: a person with intellectual or academic interests or pretensions

"We have this picture of data scientists as these Poindexters in lab coats … "

—Matt West

Because, as the head of a team of poindexters from Hewlett-Packard and U.C.L.A., this 37-year-old chemistry professor is a leading figure in the whiz-bang field of nanotechnology …

—James Wolcott

He's an absolute swot, but shares his knowledge generously with the rest of the class, unlike those Poindexters I tried to copy from …

—Tony Squires

especially : nerd

Any self-respecting poindexter knows to carry an eyeglass repair kit with those tiny screwdrivers to tighten a loose earpiece.

—Jason Tanz

… The Simpsons boasts such an impressive array of geeks, dweebs, nerds, poindexters, doofuses and socially maladjusted malcontents …

—Nathan Rabin

Word History

Etymology

from Poindexter, boy genius who wears a lab coat and mortarboard hat in the television cartoon series Felix the Cat (1959-60)

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above