geek

English Online Dictionary. What means geek‎? What does geek mean?

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: gēk, IPA^(key): /ɡiːk/
• Rhymes: -iːk

Etymology 1

Started as carnival slang, likely from the British dialectal term geck (“a fool, dupe, simpleton”) (1510s), apparently from Dutch gek or Low German geck, from an imitative verb found in North Sea Germanic and Scandinavian meaning "to croak, cackle," and also "to mock, cheat" (Dutch gekken, German gecken, Danish gække, Norwegian gakke, Swedish gäcka). The root still survives in the Dutch adjective noun gek (“crazy" or "crazy person”). Compare gink and also Old Norse gikkr (“a pert, rude person; jester; fool”).

Noun

geek (plural geeks)

1. (dated) A carnival performer specializing in bizarre and unappetizing behavior.
2. (colloquial) A person who is intensely interested in a particular field or hobby and often having limited or nonstandard social skills. Often used with an attributive noun.

3. (colloquial, by extension) An expert in a technical field, particularly one having to do with computers.
4. (uncountable, colloquial) The subculture of geeks; an esoteric subject of interest that is marginal to the social mainstream; the philosophy, events, and physical artifacts of geeks; geekness.
5. (colloquial) An unfashionable or socially undesirable person.

Synonyms

• (carnival performer): freak
• (person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby): otaku, anorak, dork, nerd, propeller head; see also Thesaurus:dork
• (expert in a technical field): freak, guru, hacker
• (unfashionable or socially undesirable person): loser, nonce, waste of space; see also Thesaurus:worthless person

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

geek (third-person singular simple present geeks, present participle geeking, simple past and past participle geeked)

1. (intransitive, colloquial) To enthusiastically engage in geek-like or nerdy interests.

2. (intransitive, African-American Vernacular, slang) To be nervous or hyperactive due to using crack cocaine.

Usage notes

• Usually used in combination with out or up.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Probably related to keek. Compare German gucken (“look”), kieken (“look”) and the dialectal corruption of Dutch keek (“keek”) (from kijk (“look”)), kijken (“to look”). Australian use from Cornish dialect.

Noun

geek (plural geeks)

1. (Australia, colloquial) A look.

Synonyms

• (look): butcher’s, gander, dekko

Translations

Verb

geek (third-person singular simple present geeks, present participle geeking, simple past and past participle geeked)

1. (Cornwall) To look; to peep; to stare about intently.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:look

References

• Wright, Joseph (1900) The English Dialect Dictionary‎^[6], volume 2, Oxford: Oxford University Press, page 592

See also

• geek someone's head up

Basque

Noun

geek

1. ergative plural of ge

Danish

Etymology

From English geek. First attested in 1995.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡiːk/, [ɡ̊iːɡ̊]

Noun

geek c (singular definite geeken, plural indefinite geeks)

1. geek (expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers; person intensely interested in a particular field or hobby; unfashionable or socially undesirable person)

Declension

Synonyms

• nørd

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English geek.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡik/

Noun

geek m or f by sense (plural geeks)

1. geek (all senses)

Fwâi

Adjective

geek

1. dirty
2. cool (fashion)

References

• André-Georges Haudricourt et Françoise Ozanne-Rivière, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (Nouvelle-Calédonie) : pije - fwâi - nemi - jawe, Lacito - Documents, Asie-Austronésie 4, SELAF no. 212, Peeters, 1982

Jawe

Adjective

geek

1. dirty

References

• André-Georges Haudricourt et Françoise Ozanne-Rivière, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (Nouvelle-Calédonie) : pije - fwâi - nemi - jawe, Lacito - Documents, Asie-Austronésie 4, SELAF no. 212, Peeters, 1982

Nemi

Adjective

geek

1. dirty

References

• André-Georges Haudricourt et Françoise Ozanne-Rivière, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (Nouvelle-Calédonie) : pije - fwâi - nemi - jawe, Lacito - Documents, Asie-Austronésie 4, SELAF no. 212, Peeters, 1982

North Frisian

Etymology

Cognate with Dutch gek, German Geck.

Noun

geek m (plural geeke)

1. (Mooring) fool

Pije

Adjective

geek

1. dirty

References

• André-Georges Haudricourt et Françoise Ozanne-Rivière, Dictionnaire thématique des langues de la région de Hienghène (Nouvelle-Calédonie) : pije - fwâi - nemi - jawe, Lacito - Documents, Asie-Austronésie 4, SELAF no. 212, Peeters, 1982

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English geek.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: geek

Adjective

geek (invariable)

1. geek (characteristic of those who are interested in video games, films, and series, in collecting themed objects and toys)

Noun

geek m or f by sense (plural geeks)

1. geek (expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers)

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English geek.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡik/ [ˈɡik]
• Rhymes: -ik

Noun

geek m or f by sense (plural geeks)

1. geek