nerd / nərd/ • n. inf. a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious: one of those nerds who never asked a girl to dance. ∎  an intelligent, single-minded expert in a particular technical discipline or profession: he single-handedly changed the Zero image of the computer nerd into one of savvy Hero.DERIVATIVES: nerd·ish adj.nerd·ish·ness n.nerd·y adj.

nerd a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious. Fashionable in the early 1980s, the word dates from the 1950s, but its origin is unknown.

nerd Derogatory slang Someone who spends excessive time using a computer, often with unreasonable enthusiasm. (The term is also used more generally.)