wonk

[ wongk ]
/ wɒŋk /

noun Slang.

a student who spends much time studying and has little or no social life; grind.
a stupid, boring, or unattractive person.
a person who studies a subject or issue in an excessively assiduous and thorough manner: a policy wonk.

Origin of wonk

1960–65, Americanism; of expressive orig.; nautical slang wonk “a midshipman,” Australian slang: “white person, homosexual” are probably independent formations

OTHER WORDS FROM wonk

wonk·ish, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for wonkish

British Dictionary definitions for wonkish

wonk
/ (wɒŋk) /

noun

informal a person who is obsessively interested in a specified subject a foreign policy wonk

Word Origin for wonk

C20: of uncertain origin