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Definition of nerd
: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially : one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits computer nerds … single-minded math and science nerds … — Anna Quindlen
Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd
Examples of nerd in a Sentence
He dresses like a nerd.
was such a nerd in college that she spent Saturday nights at the library
Recent Examples of nerd from the Web
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Many popular histories, such as the old PBS documentary Triumph of the Nerds, give the impression that the IBM PC was just sort of slapped together in a mad rush.
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This week, Jimmy Butler gives out his phone number, the Blazers make a funny and Lou Williams calls out the NERDS.
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Still, Nel seems to know the dangers of letting nerds run wild.
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As the hype has grown around Tuesday's special election in Georgia’s 6th congressional district, the contest has become the electoral equivalent of a summer blockbuster for political nerds.
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Judiciary Square: This one is for transit nerds and anyone else who wants to know about the people who built the Metro system.
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Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto is admittedly a bit of a draft nerd after working on that side while with the Diamondbacks.
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How eight elite nerds will deliver Britain's election projection.
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From struggling to find his voice as a black nerd who was also regularly mistaken for a basketball player to his views on interracial marriage, Bell's perspective is fresh, funny, and always illuminating.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nerd'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Of nerds, geeks, and dorks
Dork, when used to refer to a socially awkward or inept person, is a relatively recent word: our records indicate that it first appeared in writing in the 1960s. Two of its synonyms in this sense are likewise of fairly recent vintage. Nerd (typically used of a studious species of dork) dates from the 1950s; it was coined by Dr. Seuss in his 1950 book If I Ran the Zoo, although not in the sense that we use today. Geek became synonymous with nerd in the 1950s. Prior to this, the word referred to, among other things, a carnival performer who would bite the head off a live chicken, or other small animal, as part of an act.
Origin and Etymology of nerd
perhaps from nerd, a creature in the children's book If I Ran the Zoo (1950) by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
NERD Defined for English Language Learners
nerd
playDefinition of nerd for English Language Learners
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: a person who behaves awkwardly around other people and usually has unstylish clothes, hair, etc.
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: a person who is very interested in technical subjects, computers, etc.
NERD Defined for Kids
nerd
playDefinition of nerd for Students
1 : a person who is socially awkward, unattractive, or not fashionable
2 : a person who is extremely interested in technical or intellectual subjects
nerdy
\ˈnər-dē\ adjectiveLearn More about nerd
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See words that rhyme with nerd Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for nerd Spanish Central: Translation of nerd Nglish: Translation of nerd for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of nerd for Arabic speakers
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