dork en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /doɹk/ (Canada, General-American)
- /dɔːk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- audio Queensland
- /doːk/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
Etymology
First use appears in the US c. 1961. The sense of a "silly person" is presumably from earlier use as a bowdlerization of dick (“penis”) in student slang, particularly the Midwest. Despite a common misconception, it has never referred specifically to a whale's penis, but penises in general. Alternative etymology derives from dialectal Norwegian dorg (“a mass; heap; a heavy, dimwitted, slovenly person”).
Meanings
-
(derogatory, slang) A quirky, silly or stupid, socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends and typically has unfashionable hobbies. (Overlaps conceptually with nerd and geek, but does not imply the same level of intelligence.)
I didn’t have any clothes and I had short hair and looked like a dork. Girls wouldn’t go out with me.
1967, Don Moser and Jerry Cohen, The Pied Piper of TucsonI entitled the piece "Dorky", dork being slang for a person who does not belong to popular groups, usually an outsider, an odd person, sometimes inept, other times cranky.
1962, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Last year at Marienbad, page 167:
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(slang, vulgar) The penis.
"There's that dork whose wife cut off his dork." And when people ask him for an autograph he writes, "Best of luck to Betsy. Signed, the guy whose wife cut off his penis."
2005, Mike Judge, Reading Sucks: The Collected Works of Beavis and Butthead:"You’re dead, Trashmouth," Vince “Boogers” Taliendo told him, pulling his jock up over a dork roughly the size and shape of an anemic peanut.
1986, Stephen King, It:As a matter of fact, this slob was full of information today. He told me why we Jews have different dorks.
1962, Jerome Weidman, The Sound of Bow Bells, page 362:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| dorks | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
cool kid · social butterfly · idol · sparkler · people person
Deriveds
dorkify · dorkery · dorky · dorkwad · dorktastic · dorkdom · orch dork · dorkish · dork out · dorkwear · dorkazoid · uberdork · adorkable · dorklike · dorkface
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
boff · pocket protector · poindexter · dumb genius · Other: · dweeb · nerdbrain · saddo · propeller head · Poindexter · socially-inept person: · love-shy · wonk · geek · weenie · Intelligent
Relateds
fool · milksop · dweeb · outcast
Synonyms
pego · hog · flabaghast · pee-pee · one-eyed trouser snake · love truncheon · widdler · dong · dipstick · verge · eggplant · flabagast · plonker · hot rod · snausage · chopper · eel · organ · pike · machine · meat · meat stick · wingwang · meat scepter · thing · willie · hammer · dinkle · dicklet · crank · banana · pistol · baloney pony · trouser monkey · male member · Excalibur · spitstick · schlong · hagfish · tongue · birdie · joystick · dirk · dork · wick · rod · love stick · willy · diddle · Jonathan · pillicock · dingle · ying-yang · truncheon · dinger · pingas · tic tac · pisser · doodle · piece · tadger · shlong · colloquial · p-word · John Thomas · boonga · Donkey Kong · Yiddish) · fire hose · custard launcher · wiener · dirk · dingus · virile member · weenie · todger · tube steak · jock · rutter · Master John Goodfellow · donger · kielbasa · sucker · dog bone · manhood · man-meat · nosebleed · old chap · it · jade stalk · stem · johnson · thingy · sausage · choad · short arm · pud · flabbergast · winkle · lingam · tagger · peener · love sausage · dingaling · piece of pork · hairy canary · putz · weeny · pecker · root · choda · nerd · dink · shmekl (q · bird · langer · sex tool · gink · jigger · tallywhacker · swipe · fucker · membrum virile · dingy · hooter · jamoke · wee-wee · phallus · disco stick · rape tool · pink oboe · pink cigar · ding-dong · peter · gun · widgie · schmuck · Percy · diddly · pizzle · toy · dick · weapon · nob · hose · member · whale · pickle · joint · pee-wee · bald-headed hermit · tarse · love wand · magnum · lad · down · prick · stretcher · yard · purple-headed yogurt slinger · dirk · dork · pipe · meatstick · chode · trouser snake · meat puppet · fish · ramrod · tool · gherkin · love muscle · skin flute · D · peen · cucumber · hoo-hoo · python · fuckpole · meat rod · dock · pork sword · Nigel · nature's scythe · cock · bobby · pintle · shaft · cack · ding-a-ling · third leg · penis · tail · winky · unit · jimmy · package · salami · whang · hot dog · piston · snake · corey · old fellow · knob · job · cigar · wang · anaconda
Translations (37)
de Schwanz (vulgar, slang: penis) · no dust (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · ru хуй (vulgar, slang: penis) · tr penis (vulgar, slang: penis) · de Idiot (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · fi dorka (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · cs trotl (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · sv tönt (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · id udik (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · ca beneit (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · cs trapák (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · la verpa (vulgar, slang: penis) · nl lul (vulgar, slang: penis) · mk глу́пак (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · hu farok (vulgar, slang: penis) · nl dees (vulgar, slang: penis) · ru елда́ (vulgar, slang: penis) · bg кур (vulgar, slang: penis) · de Trottel (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · hu pénisz (vulgar, slang: penis) · mk то́кмак (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · la mentula (vulgar, slang: penis) · ru хер (vulgar, slang: penis) · it coglione (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · pt cromo (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · tr sik (vulgar, slang: penis) · hu fasz (vulgar, slang: penis) · ca carrincló (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · de Depp (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · cs blbec (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · bg хуй (vulgar, slang: penis) · de Pimmel (vulgar, slang: penis) · cs hlupák (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends) · nl piemel (vulgar, slang: penis) · mk кур (vulgar, slang: penis) · de Rute (vulgar, slang: penis) · da nørd (a quirky, silly, or stupid socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends)