dork
From Wiktionary
See also Dork
Contents |
English
Etymology
Uncertain. Hypotheses include:
- Origination as whalers' occupational slang for the penis of a whale (oosik), and by transfer became an anatomical insult.
- U.S. student slang as a bowdlerization of dick.
Pronunciation
Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
dork (plural dorks)
- (vulgar, slang) A penis.
- (US, pejorative, slang) A quirky, silly and/or stupid, socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends. Often confused with nerd and geek, but does not imply the same intelligence level.
- (US, slang, dated) A contraction for ‘door key’ child. The term for a boy or girl who is (or was) left alone for long periods, locking themselves inside with little to do, isolated, possibly poor, learning little, while a single parent (or both parents) work or are away. Origin: probably late 1930s or early 1940s US. Compare with the more neutral sounding term ‘latch-key children’ popular with media and professionals in the 1980s.
Translations
vulgar, slang: penis
quirky, silly and/or stupid, socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends
door key child
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References
- "dork" in the Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2001
- wordorigins.org

