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Nerd vs Nerf - What's the difference?

nerd | nerf |

As a noun nerd

is a person who is intellectual but generally introverted.

As a verb nerf is

to bump lightly, whether accidentally or purposefully.

nerd

English

Alternative forms

* nurd (very rare)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A person who is intellectual but generally introverted
  • * 1953 Advertisement for "Businessman's Lunch", a play by Micheal Quinn, in Patricia Brown, Gloria Mundi
    • They particularly enjoy making fun of one of their fellows who is not present, whom they consider a hopeless nerd – until, that is, they learn he is engaged to marry the boss's daughter.
  • *
  • *
  • One who has an intense, obsessive interest in something.
    • a computer nerd
    a comic-book nerd
  • An unattractive, socially awkward, annoying, undesirable, and/or boring, person; a dork.
    • Only a nerd would wear yellow and blue stripes with green pants
    Nerds seem to have fun with each other, but in a way that causes others to laugh AT them.
    Why are you hanging out with that nerd ?

    Synonyms

    * (sense) dag (Australian), doofus, dork, dweeb, geek, goober, loser, propeller head, twerp, * See also

    Derived terms

    * arachnerd * cybernerd * entreprenerd * millionerd * nerdboy * nerdbrain * nerdcore * nerdette * nerdfest * nerdgasm * Nerdic * nerdification * nerdify * nerdiness * nerdish * nerdism * nerdistan * nerdlet * nerdlike * nerdling * nerdlinger * nerdo * nerdom/nerddom * nerd out * nerdsome * nerdspeak * nerdtastic * nerdvana * nerdy * technonerd

    References

    * Online Etymology Dictionary

    External links

    * (wikipedia) * (commonslite)

    Anagrams

    * English terms with unknown etymologies ----

    nerf

    English

    (NERF)

    Etymology 1

    From automobile racing; to bump another car (ca. 1950s?).

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (auto racing) To bump lightly, whether accidentally or purposefully.
    • A racer will often nerf another as a psychological tactic.

    Derived terms

    * nerf bar * nerf net

    Etymology 2

    From the trademark NERF (an abbreviation of "non-expanding recreational foam"), a range of toys made of soft foam, ineffective as actual weapons (1969).

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (slang) to water down, dumb down or especially weaken, particularly in video games.
    • The lightning spell was pretty powerful before they nerfed it.

    Anagrams

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