Refine this word faster
Nerd
Definitions
- 1 Alternative form of NERDS. alt-of, alternative
- 1 A person who is intellectual but generally introverted. derogatory, slang, sometimes
"The bullies used to call him a nerd at school."
- 2 Initialism of nonerosive reflux disease. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
- 3 an intelligent but single-minded expert in a particular technical field or profession wordnet
- 4 One who has an intense, obsessive interest in something. derogatory, informal, sometimes
"a computer nerd"
- 5 an insignificant student who is ridiculed as being affected or boringly studious wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A member of a subculture revolving around intellectualism, technology, video games, fantasy and science fiction, comic books and assorted media. derogatory, informal, sometimes
- 7 One who is stupid and socially inept or unattractive; a social outcast. dated, derogatory, informal, sometimes
"ALICE: Prithee , what might a nerd be ? GLORIA: A nerd is an idiot or other person absurd."
Etymology
Unknown. Attested since 1951 as US student slang. * Perhaps an alteration of nerts (“nuts", "crazy”); see references below. * The word, capitalized, appeared in 1950 in Dr. Seuss’s If I Ran the Zoo as the name of an imaginary animal: *: And then, just to show them, I’ll sail to Katroo / And bring back an It-Kutch, a Preep and a Proo, / A Nerkle, a Nerd and a Seersucker too! * Possibly a rebracketing of inert as a nert, as in he's inert = he's a nerd, in reference to one's lack of competence or athletic ability. * Various unlikely folk etymologies and less likely backronymic speculations also exist.
See also for "nerd"
Next best steps
Mini challenge
Unscramble this word: nerd