William StocktonDennis OverbyeGary TaylorTroy Patterson David Quammen Shelley LevittLev Grossman
Ian Stewart
Richard Alleva
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Of Nerds, Geeks, and Dorks
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 was coined by Dr. Seuss in his 1950 book If I Ran the Zoo, although not in the sense that we use today. The usage of 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, showing 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
Examples of nerd in a Sentence
Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024
And now, Survivor stat nerds are left in a conundrum.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
In the past decade my nerd self has taken the wheel and is now driving my career.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 31 Oct. 2024
Mandy’s brother Connor (Dougie Baldwin), a music obsessive, is a socially awkward nerd whose presence evokes Sheldon and his future roommates for extra cross-franchise commonality.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Oct. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near nerd
Cite this Entry
“Nerd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nerd. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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