English

Noun

geek ‎(plural geeks)

1. (dated) A carnival performer specializing in bizarre and unappetizing behavior.

   I once saw a geek bite the head off a live chicken.

2. (colloquial) A person who is intensely interested in a particular field or hobby and usually asocial. Often used with an attributive noun.

   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.

3. (colloquial, by extension) An expert in a technical field, particularly one having to do with computers.

   My laptop’s locked up again. I need a geek.

   Do you need a hardware geek or a software geek?

   • 1978 November 14, Boylan, Jeff, “Excerpts”, in Bob Wasserman, editor, The Tech, volume 98, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT, archived from the original on August 10, 2014, page 1:

     I challenge these geeks to show a little spirit and produce an 81 tier bonfire by Friday night. It would also be nice to see a few kegs and some spirit around their awaited creation each night. Until then I rest my case.

   • 1983 February 16, dd, “Re: Temporary file names”, in net.misc, Usenet, retrieved 2016-09-21, message-ID <bnews.yale-com.883>:

     i eschew the use of "foo" "bar" and other dill-beak geek dull unimaginative temporary filenames! i find it much better to use names like: ingracl-bbp.goo or dog or ignatz

4. (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.
   • 2007 Kelly Boler, inmag.com: "Basically," says [Harry J.] Knowles [founder, 'Ain't It Cool News' website], "it's my job to stay on top of the latest and coolest in geek that's out there, specifically as it relates to the world of film."
5. (colloquial) An unfashionable or socially undesirable person.

   Why do you hang around with them? They’re just geeks.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• dork
• freak
• guru
• hacker
• loser
• nerd

Verb

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

1. (colloquial) To behave geekishly or in a socially awkward manner, especially when under the influence of drugs or other psycho-active substances, and exhibiting such marked characteristics as hyperactivity, repetitiveness, talkativeness, nervousness, irritability, or paranoia.

   Hey, check out that guy...he's really geeking out pretty bad.

Usage note

• Usually used in combination with out or up.

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”).

Noun

geek ‎(plural geeks)

1. (Australia, colloquial) A look.
   • 2005, Carmel Bird, The Essential Bird, unnumbered page,

     Then he says let′s have a geek at some of the elephant pictures instead.

   Have a geek at this.

Synonyms

• (Australia, look): butcher’s, gander

Translations

Danish

Etymology

From English geek. [1995]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡiːk/, [ɡ̊iːɡ̊]

Noun

geek c

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)

Synonyms

• nørd

French

Noun

geek m, f ‎(plural geeks)

1. geek (all senses)

Portuguese

Noun

geek m f (plural geeks)

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