I know it’s an unpopular opinion given current circumstances, but I’ve always been a huge nerd about Russia. The history, the geography, the music, etc. And as an American, I’ve always found it fascinating how U.S.-Russian relations have fluctuated over time. We’ve gone from allies, to enemies, to frenemies. This doesn’t mean I support Z or Putin, of course. What are you a nerd about?
Both definitions of nerd have co-existed for decades now. “Nerd” on its own is used as you described, a person devoted to intellectual, academic, or technical pursuits or interests.
However, if you scroll down a bit, you’ll see:
So a “something” nerd, e.g. a theatre nerd, Star Wars nerd, or what have you, is distinct from using “nerd” on its own. Both definitions are equally valid and widely-understood.
Linguistic prescriptivism is lame #DescriptivistGang😎
i don’t know why you dropped a dictionary link when i didn’t disagree with the meaning…
yes, i know how it’s used now… it’s fine, really… just mildly annoying…
like, the movie “Revenge of the Nerds” had zero to do with this other, newer usage…
which again, is fine, words change in meaning over time…