Define the word 'nerd'

[zmaster18]

The word 'nerd' is totally misused in society, as many people are ignorant to what the true meaning of the word is. How do you define this word?

[Retrospectives]

I define the word as degoratory and that's mainly because i believe that the word "nerd" has been used in a social context towards people who are not really nerds, but rather got that label by other peoples. A nerd for me is someone who is devoted to a lifestyle or has a overwhelming hobby that he is willing to spend both time and money into (more than the average person).

It might be a football ultra who is into collecting all the indie scarves of different teams. It might be a Famicom collector who just happens to live in the west. It might be a retro car enthusiast who spend more than his salary on NOS things to get his car in MINT condition....

....at least that's my definition of a "Nerd" 

[HVC-Man]

I don't think it's a derogatory term, but I do think that it should apply to many things in life, more than electronics. Nerds are everywhere. Any sort of person who takes their hobby or even profession very seriously and with intricate attention to microscopic details, is a nerd. Museum buffs are really just history nerds. Sports fans are actually nerds as well. Just about any scientist shows very nerdy traits. It's unfortunate that such a word often gets used for only one thing, when it can easily apply to everything in life.

[Retrospectives]

In fact i do not have that much of a cultural reference regarding those thing you mentions except that i am Japanese and that i have noticed that the western community use the term "Otaku" for people interested in my country in a similar sense to what people would describe as nerds. But i think that it is not degoratory in the sense of linguistics, rather than how the society treats the word just like "Otaku" which for me and the majority of the Japanese population would just describe a...."nerd" 

[zmaster18]

I believe all of you guys are wrong. Although people think nerds are people with passions for their hobbies, even if they aren't popular hobbies, the true definition of the word is someone who lacks proper social skills. To me, a nerd is someone who is awkward, strange,  or 'socially-retarded' - someone who doesn't know how to behave normally in social situations. Someone who you judge just for the weird way they talk and their totally uncomfortable mannerisms.

Just because I like video games doesn't mean I'm a total buffoon when talking to people. People may say "awww, you're such a nerd for playing those old games!".  However, I act normal when I'm around people. I was well liked in social settings like school and I'm also easily able to make friends with strangers. Sometimes I even attracted people who wanted to befriend me, but were just too weird for my liking.

People associate non-mainstream passions with automatically being a nerd. Maybe it's because we associate hobbies like anime, dungeons and dragons, magic the gathering, Sci-fi movies, and also video games (except for gun games or sports), to people who are socially-challenged because we see that in media or know people in real-life who are actually like that.

Just because we like non-mainstream games, we aren't nerds.
Just because you like anime, doesn't necessarily make you a freak.
If you like trains, or even LEGO, doesn't make you baby or weirdo.
If you like sci-fi stuff or fantasy stuff, does not dictate you are awkward.
Even if you're smart and good at school and use your knowledge outside of school, you aren't "an effing loser, turd...NUuUURd"

I hate when people use the word improperly. It really grinds my gears.

Sometimes people who act like that actually can't help it. They either had an extremely sheltered life when children (and still act like children), or they may even have a social disorder like autism or Aspergers syndrome. However, I think the case is usually just not having matured socially due to a lack of experience.

[nintendodork]

...the true definition of the word is someone who lacks proper social skills. To me, a nerd is someone who is awkward, strange, or 'socially-retarded'

Where is this "true definition" of yours coming from? I would agree with the majority here that anyone can be a nerd, or, for a better word, an enthusiast about a hobby or their job. Though it does generally carry a negative connotation, I don't see it as a word that is always bad. When I see someone who has a strong interest in something, I think, "Oh, this person is really into x thing. They're an x nerd."

I know and accept I'm a nerd about quite a few things, so I guess it makes sense in my head that other people who share my interests to the same degree are nerds. We are by no means socially inept, though. What you seem to be describing, zmaster, is high-functioning autism.

[L___E___T]

Dammit dork you made me think of Chris Chan again.  The wiki never ends...

[maxellnormalbias]

I think the word "nerd" has reached such a wide range of uses it's linguistically irrelevant. Nerd basically means "anything to do with pop culture" now.

I don't call people nerds, because it's gotten to the point that it's lost it's meaning. You can be a gamer, a foodie, a history buff, a Homestar Runner fan, whatever, and since the common consensus is that "nerd" incorporates all those things I'd just rather use those terms instead of this broad meaningless umbrella.

Then you have it as an insult or a negative word for people who are socially inept. Yeah, sure, nerd can be used as an insult. I've been called it on Xbox Live many times, but I've also been called many other things I'm not, including a bundle of sticks and/or british cigarette, and a particularly happy person, and of course those words are being misused too (even when they do mean what they're intended - although that depends on your beliefs).

[M-Tee]

NERDS.

Example A.

Example B.

Example C.

[maxellnormalbias]

Nerds cereal? Did that actually exist? Ewwww. Orange flavoured marshmallow and milk...yuck.

[80sFREAK]

...the true definition of the word is someone who lacks proper social skills. To me, a nerd is someone who is awkward, strange, or 'socially-retarded'

Where is this "true definition" of yours coming from? I would agree with the majority here that anyone can be a nerd, or, for a better word, an enthusiast about a hobby or their job. Though it does generally carry a negative connotation, I don't see it as a word that is always bad. When I see someone who has a strong interest in something, I think, "Oh, this person is really into x thing. They're an x nerd."

I know and accept I'm a nerd about quite a few things, so I guess it makes sense in my head that other people who share my interests to the same degree are nerds. We are by no means socially inept, though. What you seem to be describing, zmaster, is high-functioning autism.

White and nerdy? 

They see me mowin'
My front lawn....

[number47]

I'm going to get one of these t-shirts.

[UglyJoe]

Example C.

The true meaning.  Accept no imitations