Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
An overly studious person, particularly a student.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: nerd, grind, dork, flabbergast, flabagast, flabaghast, gink, Nigel, nosebleed
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A policy wonk or other intellectual expert.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To cram for exams.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
an insignificant student who is ridiculed as being affected or boringly studious
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: swot, grind, nerd, dweeb
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: learner, scholar, assimilator
History
American English student slang 1954; perhaps navy slang before that. "Expert" sense popularized in the Clinton administration, 1993. Origin uncertain, possibly from wonky (“shaky, unreliable”) or wank, wanker or simply expressive.
Across languages
16 source translations are retained for this English entry.
