grok
verb

- to have a clear idea of (something)

- to understand (something) intuitively or by empathy

- to profoundly understand

- when you grok something, you just get it — in other words, you totally grasp its meaning

noun

- an AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company “XaI”

Merriam-Webster, Oxford English Dictionary, Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, Dictionary Com

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WORD ORIGIN

“Grok” is a neologism coined by American writer Robert A. Heinlein for his 1961 science fiction novel ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’.

While the Oxford English Dictionary summarises the meaning of grok as "to understand intuitively or by empathy”, Heinlein's concept is far more nuanced. Critic Istvan Csicsery-Ronay Jr. observed that the major theme of Heinlein's book can be seen as an extended definition of the term grok. The term and its underlying concept have since entered the lexicon of AI communities and computer science.

Elon Musk chose the name "Grok" for his AI chatbot to reflect a deep, intuitive understanding that goes beyond mere data processing. His choice of this name underscores a vision for "Grok" to be more than just an AI that answers questions. It should respond with a sense of humour and personality, offering a “unique and engaging user experience” while at the same time understanding context and nuance,... similar to the deeply empathetic understanding featured in Heinlein’s work.

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SYNONYMS

appreciate, be attuned to, be clued in, be cognizant of, be conscious of, be in sync with, be in the know, be on the same wavelength (page), be tuned in to, catch on, clear as crystal, clear as day, clear as glass, clear-eyed, clear-headed, click (with), comprehend, comprehend deeply, connect (with), connect the dots, discern, empathise with, fathom, feel (in one's bones), foresee, get, get a handle on, get the drift, get the picture, get the gist of, get to the bottom of, grasp, GROK, have a clear picture, have a firm grasp (of), have a feel for, have down pat, have insight into, have it down, have it nailed (down), have sussed out, hit the nail on the head, in tune with, intuit, know in one's bones (in one's gut), know inside out, know like the back of one's hand, know where someone is coming from, make sense of, perceive, read (between the lines, like a book), recognise, resonate (with), see clearly (eye-to-eye, right through, the big picture), sense, strike a chord, take in, tune in to, twig, understand (implicitly, intuitively), vibe (with), walk in someone's shoes

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a sentence, say something like:

“I don't think I'll ever fully GROK quantum physics.”

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