Dictionary

nerd en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /neɹd/ (Scotland)
• /neːd/ Liverpool, fair–fur merger
• (US) audio
• /nɜːd/ (Australia, Received-Pronunciation)
• /nɛːd/ Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger
• /nɝd/ (US)
• (Australia) audio
• /nøːd/ (New-Zealand)
• nûrd (US)

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.

Meanings

1. (derogatory, slang, sometimes) A person who is intellectual but generally introverted.
   • "We were all geeks and nerds, but he was unusually poorly adjusted," recalls Chess, now a mathematics professor at Hunter College. 2002, Sam Williams, Free as in Freedom:
   • "Yes, I am super nerd, and the whole room cracked up," Said Orszag. 2009 February 28, “Orszag to present budget blueprint”, in WBBH:
   • 1953 Advertisement for "Businessman's Lunch", a play by Michael Quinn, in Patricia Brown, Gloria Mundi They particularly enjoy making fun of one of their fellows who is not present, whom they consider a hopeless nerd – until, that is, they learn he is engaged to marry the boss's daughter.
   • The bullies used to call him a nerd at school.
   • I once found myself listening to a gay man who was saying wistfully, "I wish there was someplace you could go, maybe a club, where only masculine men would be allowed in." […] Ever tactful, I did not point out to him that if such a place existed, he probably would not be allowed into it, for while he wasn't a campy sort he was too much of a nerd to meet his own specification. 1984 December 29, Duncan Mitchel, “The Cult of Gay Machismo”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 25, page 9:
2. (derogatory, informal, sometimes) One who has an intense, obsessive interest in something.
   • a comic-book nerd
   • a computer nerd
3. (derogatory, informal, sometimes) A member of a subculture revolving around intellectualism, technology, video games, fantasy and science fiction, comic books and assorted media.
4. (dated, derogatory, informal, sometimes) One who is stupid and socially inept or unattractive; a social outcast.
   • ALICE: Prithee , what might a nerd be ? GLORIA: A nerd is an idiot or other person absurd. [1976, Frank Shiras, Go Ask Alice, Dramatic Publishing, →ISBN, page 25:
   • To much of the world, we in America are nerds. We don't understand the world we live in. 1979, World Vision:
   • Nerds of the Old West 1990 April 23, Gary Larson, “[a cartoon depicting a cowboy leaving an outhouse with toilet paper attached to his spur]”, in The Far Side:
   • "You're a nerd, Jake, a nerd. You're stupid. You're clumsy. You're dirt, Jake. You're nothing." 1988, Dean Marney, The Trouble with Jake's Double, Dean Marney, →ISBN, page 98:

Forms

Deriveds

nerd revolution · nerdish · nerdity test · arachnerd · nerdly · nerdery · nerdfest · nerdistan · technonerd · nerdsome · nerdgasm · nerdlet · nerk · millionerd · nerd-snipe · nerdbrain · nerdface · enginerd · cybernerd · word nerd · nerditude · nerdspeak · nerdtastic · nerd out · nerderati · nerd snipe · nerd pole · nerdy · nerdism · nerdette · nerdlinger · nerdvana · nerd chic · nerdling · nerdo · nerdhood · blerd · nerdboy · nerdlike · ubernerd · seminerd · feminerd · Nerdfighter · internerd · nerdification · nerdiness · über-nerd · übernerd · nerdom · nerd glasses · nerdify · supernerd · entreprenerd · nerddom · neek · nerdcore · nerdwear · Nerdic

Descendants

nerd · nörtti · nerd · nörd · nerd · nerd · nörd · nörd · nørd · nerd · nørdur · nerd

Synonyms

geek · propeller head · dag

Translations (82)

cy sglaig (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · fr nerd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · da nørd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ary قرّاي (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · fr intello (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · es nerd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · de Sonderling (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · nn nerd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · hy կրծող (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · de Nerd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · es matado (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ru бота́ник (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · es norio (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ar مُهَوَّس (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · tr nerd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · es friki (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ro tocilară (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ar غِيك (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · de Tüftler (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ja ナード (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · cs šprtka (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ga saoithín (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ro tocilar (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · el φυτό (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · sk bifľoška (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · cs nerd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · fi nörtti (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · es mateo (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ru нерд (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ja おたく (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ru бoтáн (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ml ബുജി (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ar قَرَّاي (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · nl nerd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · es neer (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · sh штребер (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · es chancón (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · hy ներդ (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · fo nørdur (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · pt totó (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · lt moksliukas (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · tr inek (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ar خَبَّاش (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · es empollón (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · es ñoño (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · es cerebrito (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ja がり勉 (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · es nerdo (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · cmn 書呆子 /书呆子 (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · cs šprt (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · pl nerd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · it secchione (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · sk bifľoš (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ru задро́т (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · de Fachidiot (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ru зану́да (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ar اِنْطِوَائِيّ (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · et tuupur (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · et nohik (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · sv nörd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · pt CDF (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · hu kocka (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · de Computerfreak (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · nb nerd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · eo nerdo (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · hy բոտանիկ (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · he חְנון (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · pt nerd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ar نِيرْد (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · de Bücherwurm (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · yue 毒男 (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ms nerda (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · is nörd (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ko 오타쿠 (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · lt moksliukė (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · th เนิร์ด (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · el σπασίκλας (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · cs zažraný mimoň (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · ja オタク (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · th หนอนหนังสือ (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · he לַפְלַף (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted) · cmn 宅男 (intellectual, skillful person, generally introverted)