noun Slang.
1.
a student who spends much time studying and has little or no social life; grind.
2.
a stupid, boring, or unattractive person.
3.
a person who studies a subject or issue in an excessively assiduous and thorough manner: a policy wonk.
Origin:
1960–65, Americanism; of expressive orig.; nautical slang wonk “a midshipman,” Australian slang: “white person, homosexual” are probably independent formations
1960–65, Americanism; of expressive orig.; nautical slang wonk “a midshipman,” Australian slang: “white person, homosexual” are probably independent formations
Related forms
wonk·ish, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To wonk
00:10
Wonk
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
wonk (wɒŋk) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| informal a person who is obsessively interested in a specified subject: a foreign policy wonk | |
| [C20: of uncertain origin] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
wonk
"overly studious person," 1954, Amer.Eng. student slang, popularized 1993 during Clinton administration in U.S.; perhaps a shortening of Brit. slang wonky "shaky, unreliable" (1919), which perhaps is from Ger. wankel- or from from surviving dialectal words based on O.E. wancol "shaky, tottering" (see
wench). Or perhaps a variant of Brit. slang wanker "masturbator." It was earlier British naval slang for "midshipman" (1929).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
wonk definition[wɔŋk]
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
There's often talk in this city about a policy-wonk mentality.
Translated from the wonk, that means no more intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Tom is a witty wonk who has made policymaking as enjoyable as his friendship.
But it's the world-wide network of volunteer field agents that's turned this service into a weather wonk favorite.
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