geek

== English == === Pronunciation === enPR: gēk (Received Pronunciation, Australian, New Zealand, India) IPA(key): /ɡiːk/ (General American, Canada, Scotland) IPA(key): /ɡik/ Rhymes: -iːk Hyphenation: geek === 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) (dated) A carnival performer specializing in bizarre and unappetizing behavior. Synonym: freak I once saw a geek bite the head off a live chicken. (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. Synonyms: anorak, buff, dork, freak, nerd, otaku, propeller head I was a complete computer geek in high school, but I get out a lot more now. Most famous actors are really theater geeks at heart. (colloquial, by extension) An expert in a technical field, particularly one having to do with computers. Synonyms: freak, hacker, tech guru My laptop’s locked up again. I need a geek. (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. (colloquial) An unfashionable or socially undesirable person. Synonyms: loser, nonce, waste of space; see also Thesaurus:worthless person Why do you hang around with them? They’re just geeks. 1988, Young Guns (film) But you can't be any geek off the street, gotta be handy with the steel, if you know what I mean, earn your keep. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== geek (third-person singular simple present geeks, present participle geeking, simple past and past participle geeked) (intransitive) To perform bizarre and unpleasant feats as part of a carnival. (intransitive, colloquial) To enthusiastically engage in geek-like or nerdy interests. (intransitive, African-American Vernacular, slang) To be nervous or hyperactive due to using crack cocaine. (by extension, intransitive, African-American Vernacular, slang) To be under the influence of a mood-altering drug. ===== 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) (Australia, colloquial) A look. Have a geek at this. ===== Synonyms ===== (look): butcher’s, gander, dekko ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== geek (third-person singular simple present geeks, present participle geeking, simple past and past participle geeked) (Cornwall) To look; to peep; to stare about intently. ===== Synonyms ===== See Thesaurus:look ===== References ===== ===== Further reading ===== Wright, Joseph (1900), The English Dialect Dictionary‎[6], volume 2, Oxford: Oxford University Press, page 592 === See also === geek someone's head up === Further reading === “geek”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. == Basque == === Noun === geek 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) 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) geek (all senses) == Fwâi == === Adjective === geek dirty 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 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 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) (Mooring) fool == Pije == === Adjective === geek 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 == Polish == === Alternative forms === gik === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English geek. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɡik/ Rhymes: -ik Syllabification: geek === Noun === geek m pers (female equivalent geeczka, related adjective geekowy or geekowski) (colloquial or slang) geek (expert in a technical field, particularly one having to do with computers) Near-synonyms: haker, nerd Hypernyms: dziwak, nudziarz, pasjonat, świr ==== Declension ==== === See also === === Further reading === “geek”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[10] (in Polish) Woliński, Marcin; Saloni, Zygmunt; Wołosz, Robert; Gruszczyński, Włodzimierz; Skowrońska, Danuta; Bronk, Zbigniew (2020), “geek”, in Słownik gramatyczny języka polskiego [Grammatical Dictionary of Polish]‎[11], 4. online edition, Warszawa geek at Obserwatorium językowe Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego geek at Obserwatorium Językowe Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego == Portuguese == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English geek. === Pronunciation === Hyphenation: geek === Adjective === geek (invariable) 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) geek (expert in a technical field, particularly to do with computers) === Further reading === “geek”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026 “geek”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN “geek”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Spanish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English geek. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɡik/ [ˈɡik] Rhymes: -ik Syllabification: geek === Noun === geek m or f by sense (plural geeks) geek ==== Usage notes ==== According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.