Wonk
WordNet
noun
(1) An insignificant student who is ridiculed as being affected or studying excessively
WiktionaryText
Etymology
American English student slang, 1954; popularized in the Clinton administration, 1993, in the sense of “expert”.
Possibly from British or , .
Possibly from "WithOut Normal Knowledge" or simply "know" spelt backwards. http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pol1.htmhttp://wordsmith.org/words/wonk.html
Noun
- An overly studious or hard-working person
- A pernickety person who overly focuses on details
- A nerd
- An expert
- shorthand for a policy wonk