geek

Etymology 1

Started as carnival slang, likely from the British dialectal term geck (“a fool, dupe, simpleton”) (1510s), apparently from Dutch gek or Low German geck, from an imitative verb found in North Sea Germanic and Scandinavian meaning "to croak, cackle," and also "to mock, cheat" (Dutch gekken, German gecken, Danish gække, Norwegian gakke, Swedish gäcka). The root still survives in the Dutch adjective noun gek (“crazy" or "crazy person”). Compare gink and also Old Norse gikkr (“a pert, rude person; jester; fool”).

noun

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 often having limited or nonstandard social skills. 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?
   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. November 14, 1978, Jeff Boylan, “Excerpts”, in Bob Wasserman, editor, The Tech, volume 98, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT, archived from the original on 2014-08-10, page 1
   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 Feb 16 1983, dd, “Re: Temporary file names”, in net.misc (Usenet), retrieved 2016-09-21, message-ID <bnews.yale-com.883>
4. (uncountable, 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; geekness.
   It is totally counter-intuitive. How do these ubernerds get the cute girls? Is it the ultimate triumph of the Bill Gates era, in which geek is the new cool? 2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 265
   "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." 2007, Kelly Boler, inmag.com
5. (colloquial) An unfashionable or socially undesirable person.
   Why do you hang around with them? They’re just geeks.
   Yeah, well, listen. You ought to ditch the two geeks you're in the car with now and get in with us. But that's all right, we'll worry about that later. 1993, Richard Linklater, Dazed and Confused (motion picture), spoken by Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey)

verb

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.
2. (colloquial) To enthusiastically engage in or discuss geek-like interests.
   It was our first time at a Star Trek convention and we had an amazing time wandering around and geeking out.

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”). Australian use from Cornish dialect.

noun

1. (Australia, colloquial) A look.
   Then he says let′s have a geek at some of the elephant pictures instead. 2005, Carmel Bird, The Essential Bird, unnumbered page
   Have a geek at this.

verb

1. (Cornwall) To look; to peep; to stare about intently.
   This gayte bucca-davy, all'ys geekin' round arter a gook. 1891, Joseph Henry Pearce, Esther Pentreath
   I will geek, I will geek I tell ee; while I have the spirit of a man in me I'll geek. 1895, Joseph Thomas, Randigal Rhymes