geek

American  

[geek] / gik /

noun

1. a digital-technology expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often used disparagingly by others).

2. a person who has excessive enthusiasm for and some expertise about a specialized subject or activity.

   a foreign-film geek.

3. a peculiar person, especially one who is perceived to be overly intellectual, unfashionable, or socially awkward.

4. a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts, as biting off the head of a live chicken.

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verb (used without object)

1. to be overexcited about a specialized subject or activity, or to talk about it with excessive enthusiasm (usually followed byout ).

   I could geek out about sci-fi for hours.

geek British  

/ ɡiːk /

noun

1. a person who is preoccupied with or very knowledgeable about computing

2. a boring and unattractive social misfit

3. a degenerate

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Usage

What is a geek? A geek is a person who is an expert or fan of technology and computers, as in He gave the assignment to the geeks in the IT department. Geek is also used more generally to refer to someone who is especially passionate or knowledgeable about something, as in Shawna is the biggest Star Trek geek I know, going to all the conventions. A geek is also someone who is judged to be too intelligent and socially awkward or just quirky or odd, especially in high school groups, as in At my high school, the geeks got along with the goths but hated the jocks. In the past, the word geek was used to refer specifically to a carnival performer who performed disgusting acts. Today, this usage is incredibly rare, and you can use geek as an insult or endearment, especially when describing yourself.Geek can be used as a verb to mean to express intense enthusiasm about something or to discuss it passionately, as in My friends were all geeking out about the new Spider-Man movie. Example: My dad has always been a baseball geek, telling me all of the stats and who the upcoming stars will be.

Other Word Forms

• geeky adjective

Etymology

Origin of geek

First recorded in 1915–20; probably variant of geck (mainly Scots ) “fool,” from Dutch or Low German gek

Example Sentences

Intelligent, funny, curious and humble, Gosling’s Grace is essentially a clone of the character Matt Damon played in 2015’s “The Martian,” a geek you want to grab an intergalactic beer with.

From Los Angeles Times

But as the Finn is an "aviation geek", in the words of Patten, they knew even before the final that their departure was very likely to be delayed.

From BBC

James, the son of a fisherman, was bombastic with an entrepreneurial streak, while Martin was the more reserved beer geek.

From BBC

"A geek. That is really what I was at age 12," he admits.

From Barron's

Privacy geeks have been warning of this moment for decades, not just in the realms of science fiction, but even on the pages of Salon, back when a digital magazine was a novel idea.

From Salon

Related Words

• buffoon
• freak
• nerd
• weirdo