eager beaver

English

WOTD – 26 January 2009

Etymology

• (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌiː.ɡə ˈbiː.və/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌi.ɡɚ ˈbi.vɚ/

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Noun

eager beaver (plural eager beavers)

1. (idiomatic, colloquial) One (especially a child) who is very excited or enthusiastic to begin a task; a person who is exceedingly assiduous in an enthusiastic manner
   • 1988 November 21, Diana Muldaur, Brent Spiner, The Child (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Paramount Domestic Television, →OCLC:

     PULASKI: I am unfamiliar with this symbol.
     DATA: It indicates a genetically engineered biological life-form.
     PULASKI: About twenty percent of the specimens fall into that category. Some eager beaver at play.
     DATA: Query: "eager beaver?"
     PULASKI: Well in this case, eager beaver refers to some over achieving genetic engineer, who probably because of lack of anything better to do has forced this strain of virus to mutate, just so he can see how bad bad can get.

   • 2007, Bernadette Hlubik Schell, The Internet and Society, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 178:

     An “eager beaver” in terms of computing, Gates apparently started programming at age eleven.

Related terms

• eager
• beaver away