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dork

[ dawrk ]
/ dɔrk /
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noun
Slang. a silly, out-of-touch person who tends to look odd or behave ridiculously around others; a social misfit: If you make me wear that, I’ll look like a total dork!
Slang: Vulgar. penis.

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Origin of dork

First recorded in 1960–65; origin uncertain; perhaps a variant of dirk, influenced by dick

historical usage of dork

The history of dork is a short one. It’s been around only since the early 1960s, originally as a slang term for ā€œpenis.ā€ Most likely dork was just an alternative form of dick, a word that started out as a nickname for Richard—a name meaning ā€œfellowā€ā€”but which by the late 1800s, had taken on the additional meaning of ā€œpenisā€ (which is certainly part of a fellow) in British army slang.
By the late 60s, American college students had extended the meaning of dork to refer to a socially awkward person. While at first this sense of dork carried pejorative connotations, the term has since been ā€œtaken backā€ by the people it once so cruelly described, and now can even be given as a compliment. If a girl calls a guy ā€œadorkableā€ (the combination of ā€œdorkā€ and ā€œadorableā€), she means to say he is cute in a socially awkward, yet endearing way.
Geeks and nerds, while still dorky, are generally considered more intelligent than dorks. Next time you call someone a dork think about its short history in the English language, and reflect upon what a word nerd you are.

popular references for dork


— King Dork: A coming-of-age novel by Frank Portman, first published in 2006.
—Son of Dork: A pop punk band from the U.K.
— Dork Tower: An online comic by John Kovalic.

Quotations related to dork

  • "[O]ver there he wouldn’t be no fatboy or dork or kid no girl had ever loved; over there he’d be a hero, an avenger. "
    -Juno DĆ­az The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007)
  • "[W]hile I’m definitely a dork, I’m not a nerd...I’m lucky that they’re popular enough that they don’t have to worry about…being seen with a dork like me. "
    -Robin Friedman The Girlfriend Project (2007)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dork in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dork

dork
/ (dɔːk) /

noun slang
a stupid or incompetent person
US a penis

Derived forms of dork

dorky, adjective

Word Origin for dork

C20: of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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