In the past，they were laughed at for being eggheads(书呆子) wearing glasses with a passion for the pointless.But now，being a member of their group has become a source of pride，with Collins online dictionary naming the term “geek” as UK's “Word of the Year” on December 16.

　　“Geek” tops the list for 2017 because of its “positive makeover”，a spokeswoman for Collins Dictionary told The Scotsman newspaper.

　　The word originally appeared in the 19th century as a variant(变形) of “geck”，meaning “a simpleton(傻瓜)”.

　　“In the 1980s，the word still had a negative meaning，referring to someone who was boring and socially awkward.However，from the late 20th century，due to the increasing importance of technology in society，the word has come to mean a clever，switched－on and cool person，” noted The Scotsman.

　　In September，the dictionary changed the main definition of “geek” from “someone

　　preoccupied with computing” to “a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about a

　　specific subject”.

　　“‘Geek’ is a great example of a word that has evolved from having a negative meaning to

　　having a positive one.” Ian Brookes，consultant editor to Collins Dictionary told The Guardian.“This change in meaning represents a positive change in views of specialist expertise(专长；专业知识)，and is a result of the influence of technology on people's lives.”

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