geek
a very clever person who lacks social skills
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Ever since the world's GEEKS started downloading episodes of Star Trek to their PCs, Hollywood and Silicon Valley executives have been preparing for the day when the world's non-techies will also get their movies online (legally). That day took a step closer to reality last week, when Apple announced it would sell movie downloads through its iTunes store.
(adapted from Time Magazine)
---
I'm an utterly average, total GEEK.
- Hollywood star Julia Roberts
(adapted from Time Magazine)
---
I'm an utterly average, total GEEK.
- Hollywood star Julia Roberts
Did you
know?
geek
slang (chiefly American)
- a person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy
- a person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept
- a carnival performer whose show consists of bizarre acts, such as biting the head off a live chicken
(The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition)
---
WORD ORIGIN
As the three different entries for geek in the American Heritage Dictionary show, it’s difficult to come up with a single definition. Most etymology sources agree however that it originally referred to a carnival or circus performer who performed bizarre acts. The word probably derived from the Old English geck (1500s), which was colloquial for a fool or simpleton (from the Low German geck meaning to croak, cackle and also to mock or cheat).
While most dictionaries broadly define geek (also called nerd) as someone who is unfashionable and socially boring, nowadays the term is primarily associated with the world of technology. Computer geek, a phrase still frequently heard, describes someone who spends of lot time dealing with computers or the Internet. The High-Tech Dictionary puts it this way:
Computer geek: A person who is fanatically interested in computers. In the positive sense, the word can mean someone who is very knowledgeable about computers. In the negative sense, it implies someone who has few social skills, and is only comfortable communicating with computers.
(The Online Etymology Dictionary, The American Heritage Dictionary)
---
SYNONYMS
nerd, freak, oddball, weirdo
---
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
"I wouldn’t take him along on any customer visits. He might be smart, but he’s a geek."
slang (chiefly American)
- a person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy
- a person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept
- a carnival performer whose show consists of bizarre acts, such as biting the head off a live chicken
(The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition)
---
WORD ORIGIN
As the three different entries for geek in the American Heritage Dictionary show, it’s difficult to come up with a single definition. Most etymology sources agree however that it originally referred to a carnival or circus performer who performed bizarre acts. The word probably derived from the Old English geck (1500s), which was colloquial for a fool or simpleton (from the Low German geck meaning to croak, cackle and also to mock or cheat).
While most dictionaries broadly define geek (also called nerd) as someone who is unfashionable and socially boring, nowadays the term is primarily associated with the world of technology. Computer geek, a phrase still frequently heard, describes someone who spends of lot time dealing with computers or the Internet. The High-Tech Dictionary puts it this way:
Computer geek: A person who is fanatically interested in computers. In the positive sense, the word can mean someone who is very knowledgeable about computers. In the negative sense, it implies someone who has few social skills, and is only comfortable communicating with computers.
(The Online Etymology Dictionary, The American Heritage Dictionary)
---
SYNONYMS
nerd, freak, oddball, weirdo
---
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
"I wouldn’t take him along on any customer visits. He might be smart, but he’s a geek."
