William StocktonDennis OverbyeGary TaylorTroy Patterson David Quammen Shelley LevittLev Grossman
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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. The usage of nerd is now often used in a neutral fashion to denote enthusiasm or expertise (theater nerd) or proudly as a self-identifying trait (word nerd). Geek became synonymous with nerd in the 1950s and has similarly seen increasing use with positive connotations, showing membership in a specialized group (film geek, beer geek) rather than social awkwardness. In its earliest meanings, geek 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.
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Examples of nerd in a Sentence
Nilay Patel, The Verge, 16 Aug. 2024
July 31, 2024 5 min read The nerd culture powerhouse is rebranding its elves, dwarfs and orcs, previously referred to as races, and moving towards use of the term species
By Steven Dashiell
Dungeons & Dragons now reigns as a cultural powerhouse, the OG of tabletop role-playing.
—Steven Dashiell, Scientific American, 31 July 2024
That level of detail sets the stage in the moody basement haunt, a haven for agave nerds and a welcoming watering hole for the curious.
—Felicia Campbell, The Arizona Republic, 29 July 2024
This list is based on the opinions of the two biggest Marvel nerds on TIME’s staff who have, naturally, watched every single movie the studio has produced.
—Moises Mendez Ii, TIME, 23 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for nerd 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nerd.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Nerd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nerd. Accessed 26 Aug. 2024.
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