Please let me point out in advance that I chose these Geek Words on my own, pretty much based on my personal tastes, so your mileage will vary. I have no problems with making a few changes here and there based on user popularity. I already know some geek icons should be given attention here.
I'm including sources only where I can't define a word without some help. If you think I'm "borrowing" a definition from an uncredited source, let me know and I'll fix it, because it'll have been unintentional. Photos come from Creative Commons.
If you're not a geek, now you can at least understand what we're saying! Mouse over the word for the brief definition. :-)
Abrams
Refers to J. J. Abrams, director of the newest big-screen Star Trek franchise and creator of popular TV series Alias and Lost.
appPrograms written for execution on (for instance) a smart phone or iPad, or in association with social media platforms and other Web sites. Frequently created in answer to a perceived need.
avatarA small version of a profile picture, enabling us to recognize social media users. Also traditionally found in gaming and instant messaging. May refer to the James Cameron movie of the same name.
Avengers
Marvel Comics' popular super-hero team. The version in the Joss Whedon film includes Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye (shown), Black Widow and the Hulk. May also refer to the 60s British spy comedy.
Barbossa
Original Captain of the Black Pearl in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean series. Played by Geoffrey Rush.
Bender
Wise-cracking robot from Matt Groening's Futurama.
boomstick
Shotgun wielded by time-traveling Ash (Bruce Campbell) in Army of Darkness, and purchased in S-Mart.
browncoatsArmy fighting against the Alliance in Joss Whedon's Firefly and Serenity, and often associated with Nathan Fillion.
Cartman
Hilarious and foul-mouthed character from Trey Parker & Matt Stone's South Park series.
ChromeGoogle's Web browser, integrated with Google's many other features.
circlesGoogle Plus (Google+) organizes its users' contacts this way, as opposed to Facebook and Twitter Lists.
cloudA computer architecture in which users can access storage or applications on demand, rather than having to host such features themselves.
Comic-ConUsually refers to the San Diego Comic-Con, the most well-attended of its kind, and popular for its star power.
cosplay
Playing dress-up, for geeks usually as super-heroes or characters in sci-fi or fantasy epics.
CSSStands for Cascading Style Sheets, a form of script that separates the layout of Web pages from their content.
Cthulhu
Monster (not as cute as shown) created by H. P. Lovecraft and described as part dragon, part octopus and part sort-of human.
Cylon
Once the servants of humans, in the TV series Battlestar Galactica and Caprica they pretty much seek to eliminate mankind. Often referred to as "toasters," even though some have taken the form of such gorgeous knockouts as Tricia Helfer, Lucy Lawless and Grace Park.
Daleks
These robots are frequent foes of Doctor Who, and unmistakable for their chant of "EX-TER-MI-NATE!"
Data
Android Enterprise officer in Star Trek the Next Generation. Perhaps best known for his epic poem about a cat, Ode to Spot.
DeLorean
Classic sports car converted into a time machine by Christopher Lloyd in the Back to the Future movie series.
Dilbert
Created by Scott Adams, for nearly 20 years the cartoon hero of geeks everywhere.
directiveA synthetic lifeform's purpose, as seen in WALL.E. May also refer to the Star Trek Prime Directive, in which the Federation is not to interfere in other civilizations.
emoticon
Also referred to as "smilies," these are artifacts of the Internet from 25 years ago, in which ASCII characters were used to communicate "feelings" in e-mail and on bulletin boards. Still popular today, they are automatically converted to graphic form in instant messaging and on Facebook.
engagementThought by many to be the secret to business success in social media, this involves actually talking to people once in a while.
evergreenUsed to refer to online content that will be useful for a long time to come. Highly desirable.
fail (n)Communication (usually, but can be other systems) that doesn't perform its function, and may indeed perform quite the opposite (this is often referred to as an "epic fail").
fanboy
A geek who goes above and beyond the call of duty in the love of his favorite story, character, game or technique. The term is often considered more of a pejorative than "geek" itself.
FAQAnother artifact of an earlier Internet, this acronym stands for "Frequently Asked Questions" and usually represents the file or Web page wherein these questions are answered.
FarmvilleA game, usually played on Facebook, in which players run a "farm" and assist other users in accumulating farm animals, goods and buildings. Non-players will sometimes use the term "Farmville" to represent games and other applications on Facebook that they find intrusive or annoying.
fembots
Opponents of comedy spy Austin Powers, these robotic women typically have machine guns built into their breasts. The term is also occasionally used as a pejorative, referring to women who seem emotionless.
filkFolk music derived from science fiction and fantasy.
FireflySpace western created by Joss Whedon. As have other sci-fi programs, it has achieved cult status since its cancellation.
FlickrPhoto-hosting service affiliated with Yahoo, and often used to make images available to Creative Commons.
friend (v)To opt-in to a relationship on Facebook. To unfriend is to end that relationship.
Frodo
Frodo Baggins (second from left, played by Elijah Wood) was the titular ring-bearer in J. R. R. Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings.
game (v)To make a social media platform, Web site, or program do what you want it to, usually involving numbers that make you look good, and in some cases perhaps better than you really are.
geekOne who loves a story, character, game, profession or technique more than "normal people." Often used to refer to intelligent people who enjoy sci-fi and fantasy, especially if they wear glasses and rumpled clothes. In recent years, the term has become complimentary to many. Of US.
Godwin
Refers to Mike Godwin, whose Law of Nazi Analogies says "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."
golem
According to Jewish tradition, a creature of earth and unliving substances, animated and assigned to perform particular tasks. This is very much like what is in movies called "deux ex machina," the object or entity that comes from nowhere and resolves all problems.
guruThe person thought to have the answers.
hacksRoutines or subprograms that change a main program's original purpose, sometimes in ways difficult to detect. One popular hack was central to the film Office Space.
HaloA popular sci-fi video game series involving interstellar war.
hashtagBased on the pound sign (#), a means of aggregating tweets by keyword in Twitter. The importance of the hashtag in this aggregation is that it indicates the writer's intent.
homageUsually found in movies, especially in remakes, a salute to a scene or line in the previous version. This was common in the recently-released Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
horcruxDark magic technique in which part of one's soul is stored in an object, and may be retrieved when its owner is mortally wounded. In this way, Lord Voldemort was able to extend his life, until Harry Potter and others found ways to destroy all of Voldemort's soul vessels, leaving his body vulnerable.
hovercardsUse of CSS to create text and image pop-ups on mouseover, commonly used to identify people on social media platforms.
HTMLHyperText Markup Language. The fundamental building block of a Web page.
iFrameA means to draw in part, or all of an external Web page, to appear in your own. Commonly used to display media files on blogs.
iPad
A brand name for a type of tablet computer, commonly used for media files and social media activity.
JavaA programming language, thought my many to be useful for learning programming, partly because it lends itself to introducing object-oriented programming concepts slowly. Used in many Web applications.
Jobs
Refers to Steve Jobs. Until recently, the CEO of Apple.
Kato
Manservant and assistant/sidekick to the super-hero Green Hornet, Kato was always the better fighter, and his character gained Bruce Lee wide popularity in the USA. A later version, played by Jay Chou, turned out to be a techno-geek as well as the superior fighter.
KHAAAAN!
The line considered by many to define William Shatner's role as Captain Kirk in the Star Trek original series and films.
Kindle
The amazon.com e-book reader.
kryptoniteA piece of Superman's homeworld, having various effects on the super-hero depending on its color; the green version can kill him. The term is often used to represent anyone's weakness (e.g. chocolate).
LEPreconLower Elements People's Reconnaissance, the fairy police force alternately friends and foes to Artemis Fowl.
lightsaber
Don't try this at home! The weapon of a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan Kenobi, in Star Wars, called it "an elegant weapon for a more refined age."
Like (n)
An action, taken on Facebook, indicating appreciation for a Status, a Link or a Fan Page.
LinkedInA social media platform thought by many to be designed for business-to-business networking. It has strength in Q&A and Groups.
LinuxA free, open-source operating system based on Unix.
LudditeOriginally formed to protest the loss of jobs to technology, now thought to simply oppose technology altogether.
LumberghRefers to Bill Lumbergh, a character in the film Office Space played by Gary Cole. Lumbergh's annoying mannerisms, adherence to the most boring and useless company policies, and general disinterest in his employees make him representative of the most evil bosses ever.
malwarePrograms of various sizes and types that will slow down or shut down your computer, or steal your personal information.
mashupA program, media file or other creative work built from two or more different works of related type.
McFlyRefers to George McFly, geek character in the sci-fi classic "Back to the Future" films, played by Crispin Glover. Could also apply to Marty McFly, another character from the same films, played by Michael J. Fox.
McLovinPlayed by Christopher Mintz-Plasse in Superbad, McLovin represents the socially clumsy geek who in the end becomes a hero to all.
memeA unit of culture.
mentionA tweet from someone else that includes your Twitter ID as an active link.
metadataData about data.
mutantsThe next step in human evolution, according to Charles Xavier of the X-Men.
NOMNOMNOMThe sound we make when we - as well as cats and other small animals - eat, according to I Can Has Cheezburger.
NPHNeil Patrick Harris, geek star of the "Harold & Kumar" films and Starship Troopers
OHai"Oh, hi!" according to I Can Has Cheezburger and bad-film-cult-classic The Room.
PHPA scripting language that makes dynamic Web pages, because it is built to work alongside MySQL databases. It also uses HTML elements when needed and repeats them on different pages when needed, meaning they don't have to be written over and over. WordPress is written in PHP.
retconRetroactive continuity - what happens when a story, usually in a comic-book, is started over from scratch. Old characters are thrown out and new ones introduced. At this writing, DC Comics is performing a retcon of 52 titles, including Superman and Justice League.
retweetTo repeat another person's tweet to your own followers. Considered a great favor by others, and desirable for you.
RifftraxDownloadable audio commentary by Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, who "heckle" movies. This form of humor was popularized by Mystery Science Theater 3000 as well, and again by the Nostalgia Critic.
Roswell
A town of about 50000 in New Mexico, whose name is associated with an alleged UFO crash, and as a result is mentioned in context with aliens throughout science fiction.
SHIELD
Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate, the Marvel Comics high-tech international police force, headed in the films by Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson.
steampunk
A speculative fiction genre that features steam-powered mechanical devices.
SXSWStands for South by Southwest, spring tech and media conferences held in Austin, TX.
Tapping
Refers to Canadian actress Amanda Tapping (shown with Robin Dunne), star of popular sci-fi shows Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Sanctuary.
TARDIS
A time machine resembling a phone box, used by Doctor Who.
TEDStands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, a series of conferences held worldwide to disseminate new ideas.
TeslaNikola Tesla, Serbian inventor who developed, among many other things, an AC motor. He redesigned some of Thomas Edison's products and was never paid for his services. This could also refer to the American line of electric cars.
thumbnailA small picture related to a link posted to a social media site. A link with more than one thumbnail gives you the opportunity to choose the best one!
tinyURLAmong the first of the link-shorteners. Link shorteners have grown in popularity because of the demand to share links in limited space social media.
trendingTopics on Twitter that receive the greatest notice at a given moment.
tweetupA live meeting of Twitter contacts and others interested in the social media.
UbisoftEuropean video-game manufacturer responsible for, among many others, MYST and Prince of Persia.
(un)followTo follow is to make a contact on Twitter. Unlike other social media platforms, that contact does not have to return follow. To unfollow is to end the contact.
viralAn online production, usually video, reaches an unexpectedly large audience. What makes this happen is not always clear.
vlogA video blog.
wardrivingDriving in search of free Wi-Fi access. Derived from the 80s geek classic film WarGames.
webinarPresentation or seminar presented over the Web.
Whedon
Refers to Joss Whedon, creator of TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, and director of The Avengers.
Wolverine
Wolverine is perhaps the most popular of the X-Men. His abilities include a rapid healing factor, and adamantium-laced skeleton and claws. He was played in film versions by Hugh Jackman.
WordPress
Blog tool and content management system built on PHP and MySQL.
WoWAcronym for the massively multi-player online role-playing game World of Warcraft.
WYSIWYGAcronym meaning "what you see is what you get." Applied to the results of text and code editing.
Refers to J. J. Abrams, director of the newest big-screen Star Trek franchise and creator of popular TV series Alias and Lost.
appPrograms written for execution on (for instance) a smart phone or iPad, or in association with social media platforms and other Web sites. Frequently created in answer to a perceived need.
avatarA small version of a profile picture, enabling us to recognize social media users. Also traditionally found in gaming and instant messaging. May refer to the James Cameron movie of the same name.
Avengers
Marvel Comics' popular super-hero team. The version in the Joss Whedon film includes Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye (shown), Black Widow and the Hulk. May also refer to the 60s British spy comedy.
Barbossa
Original Captain of the Black Pearl in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean series. Played by Geoffrey Rush.
Bender
Wise-cracking robot from Matt Groening's Futurama.
boomstick
Shotgun wielded by time-traveling Ash (Bruce Campbell) in Army of Darkness, and purchased in S-Mart.
browncoatsArmy fighting against the Alliance in Joss Whedon's Firefly and Serenity, and often associated with Nathan Fillion.
Cartman
Hilarious and foul-mouthed character from Trey Parker & Matt Stone's South Park series.
ChromeGoogle's Web browser, integrated with Google's many other features.
circlesGoogle Plus (Google+) organizes its users' contacts this way, as opposed to Facebook and Twitter Lists.
cloudA computer architecture in which users can access storage or applications on demand, rather than having to host such features themselves.
Comic-ConUsually refers to the San Diego Comic-Con, the most well-attended of its kind, and popular for its star power.
cosplay
Playing dress-up, for geeks usually as super-heroes or characters in sci-fi or fantasy epics.
CSSStands for Cascading Style Sheets, a form of script that separates the layout of Web pages from their content.
Cthulhu
Monster (not as cute as shown) created by H. P. Lovecraft and described as part dragon, part octopus and part sort-of human.
Cylon
Once the servants of humans, in the TV series Battlestar Galactica and Caprica they pretty much seek to eliminate mankind. Often referred to as "toasters," even though some have taken the form of such gorgeous knockouts as Tricia Helfer, Lucy Lawless and Grace Park.
Daleks
These robots are frequent foes of Doctor Who, and unmistakable for their chant of "EX-TER-MI-NATE!"
Data
Android Enterprise officer in Star Trek the Next Generation. Perhaps best known for his epic poem about a cat, Ode to Spot.
DeLorean
Classic sports car converted into a time machine by Christopher Lloyd in the Back to the Future movie series.
Dilbert
Created by Scott Adams, for nearly 20 years the cartoon hero of geeks everywhere.
directiveA synthetic lifeform's purpose, as seen in WALL.E. May also refer to the Star Trek Prime Directive, in which the Federation is not to interfere in other civilizations.
emoticon
Also referred to as "smilies," these are artifacts of the Internet from 25 years ago, in which ASCII characters were used to communicate "feelings" in e-mail and on bulletin boards. Still popular today, they are automatically converted to graphic form in instant messaging and on Facebook.
engagementThought by many to be the secret to business success in social media, this involves actually talking to people once in a while.
evergreenUsed to refer to online content that will be useful for a long time to come. Highly desirable.
fail (n)Communication (usually, but can be other systems) that doesn't perform its function, and may indeed perform quite the opposite (this is often referred to as an "epic fail").
fanboy
A geek who goes above and beyond the call of duty in the love of his favorite story, character, game or technique. The term is often considered more of a pejorative than "geek" itself.
FAQAnother artifact of an earlier Internet, this acronym stands for "Frequently Asked Questions" and usually represents the file or Web page wherein these questions are answered.
FarmvilleA game, usually played on Facebook, in which players run a "farm" and assist other users in accumulating farm animals, goods and buildings. Non-players will sometimes use the term "Farmville" to represent games and other applications on Facebook that they find intrusive or annoying.
fembots
Opponents of comedy spy Austin Powers, these robotic women typically have machine guns built into their breasts. The term is also occasionally used as a pejorative, referring to women who seem emotionless.
filkFolk music derived from science fiction and fantasy.
FireflySpace western created by Joss Whedon. As have other sci-fi programs, it has achieved cult status since its cancellation.
FlickrPhoto-hosting service affiliated with Yahoo, and often used to make images available to Creative Commons.
friend (v)To opt-in to a relationship on Facebook. To unfriend is to end that relationship.
Frodo
Frodo Baggins (second from left, played by Elijah Wood) was the titular ring-bearer in J. R. R. Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings.
game (v)To make a social media platform, Web site, or program do what you want it to, usually involving numbers that make you look good, and in some cases perhaps better than you really are.
geekOne who loves a story, character, game, profession or technique more than "normal people." Often used to refer to intelligent people who enjoy sci-fi and fantasy, especially if they wear glasses and rumpled clothes. In recent years, the term has become complimentary to many. Of US.
Godwin
Refers to Mike Godwin, whose Law of Nazi Analogies says "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."
golem
According to Jewish tradition, a creature of earth and unliving substances, animated and assigned to perform particular tasks. This is very much like what is in movies called "deux ex machina," the object or entity that comes from nowhere and resolves all problems.
guruThe person thought to have the answers.
hacksRoutines or subprograms that change a main program's original purpose, sometimes in ways difficult to detect. One popular hack was central to the film Office Space.
HaloA popular sci-fi video game series involving interstellar war.
hashtagBased on the pound sign (#), a means of aggregating tweets by keyword in Twitter. The importance of the hashtag in this aggregation is that it indicates the writer's intent.
homageUsually found in movies, especially in remakes, a salute to a scene or line in the previous version. This was common in the recently-released Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
horcruxDark magic technique in which part of one's soul is stored in an object, and may be retrieved when its owner is mortally wounded. In this way, Lord Voldemort was able to extend his life, until Harry Potter and others found ways to destroy all of Voldemort's soul vessels, leaving his body vulnerable.
hovercardsUse of CSS to create text and image pop-ups on mouseover, commonly used to identify people on social media platforms.
HTMLHyperText Markup Language. The fundamental building block of a Web page.
iFrameA means to draw in part, or all of an external Web page, to appear in your own. Commonly used to display media files on blogs.
iPad
A brand name for a type of tablet computer, commonly used for media files and social media activity.
JavaA programming language, thought my many to be useful for learning programming, partly because it lends itself to introducing object-oriented programming concepts slowly. Used in many Web applications.
Jobs
Refers to Steve Jobs. Until recently, the CEO of Apple.
Kato
Manservant and assistant/sidekick to the super-hero Green Hornet, Kato was always the better fighter, and his character gained Bruce Lee wide popularity in the USA. A later version, played by Jay Chou, turned out to be a techno-geek as well as the superior fighter.
KHAAAAN!
The line considered by many to define William Shatner's role as Captain Kirk in the Star Trek original series and films.
Kindle
The amazon.com e-book reader.
kryptoniteA piece of Superman's homeworld, having various effects on the super-hero depending on its color; the green version can kill him. The term is often used to represent anyone's weakness (e.g. chocolate).
LEPreconLower Elements People's Reconnaissance, the fairy police force alternately friends and foes to Artemis Fowl.
lightsaber
Don't try this at home! The weapon of a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan Kenobi, in Star Wars, called it "an elegant weapon for a more refined age."
Like (n)
An action, taken on Facebook, indicating appreciation for a Status, a Link or a Fan Page.
LinkedInA social media platform thought by many to be designed for business-to-business networking. It has strength in Q&A and Groups.
LinuxA free, open-source operating system based on Unix.
LudditeOriginally formed to protest the loss of jobs to technology, now thought to simply oppose technology altogether.
LumberghRefers to Bill Lumbergh, a character in the film Office Space played by Gary Cole. Lumbergh's annoying mannerisms, adherence to the most boring and useless company policies, and general disinterest in his employees make him representative of the most evil bosses ever.
malwarePrograms of various sizes and types that will slow down or shut down your computer, or steal your personal information.
mashupA program, media file or other creative work built from two or more different works of related type.
McFlyRefers to George McFly, geek character in the sci-fi classic "Back to the Future" films, played by Crispin Glover. Could also apply to Marty McFly, another character from the same films, played by Michael J. Fox.
McLovinPlayed by Christopher Mintz-Plasse in Superbad, McLovin represents the socially clumsy geek who in the end becomes a hero to all.
memeA unit of culture.
mentionA tweet from someone else that includes your Twitter ID as an active link.
metadataData about data.
mutantsThe next step in human evolution, according to Charles Xavier of the X-Men.
NOMNOMNOMThe sound we make when we - as well as cats and other small animals - eat, according to I Can Has Cheezburger.
NPHNeil Patrick Harris, geek star of the "Harold & Kumar" films and Starship Troopers
OHai"Oh, hi!" according to I Can Has Cheezburger and bad-film-cult-classic The Room.
PHPA scripting language that makes dynamic Web pages, because it is built to work alongside MySQL databases. It also uses HTML elements when needed and repeats them on different pages when needed, meaning they don't have to be written over and over. WordPress is written in PHP.
retconRetroactive continuity - what happens when a story, usually in a comic-book, is started over from scratch. Old characters are thrown out and new ones introduced. At this writing, DC Comics is performing a retcon of 52 titles, including Superman and Justice League.
retweetTo repeat another person's tweet to your own followers. Considered a great favor by others, and desirable for you.
RifftraxDownloadable audio commentary by Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, who "heckle" movies. This form of humor was popularized by Mystery Science Theater 3000 as well, and again by the Nostalgia Critic.
Roswell
A town of about 50000 in New Mexico, whose name is associated with an alleged UFO crash, and as a result is mentioned in context with aliens throughout science fiction.
SHIELD
Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate, the Marvel Comics high-tech international police force, headed in the films by Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson.
steampunk
A speculative fiction genre that features steam-powered mechanical devices.
SXSWStands for South by Southwest, spring tech and media conferences held in Austin, TX.
Tapping
Refers to Canadian actress Amanda Tapping (shown with Robin Dunne), star of popular sci-fi shows Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Sanctuary.
TARDIS
A time machine resembling a phone box, used by Doctor Who.
TEDStands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, a series of conferences held worldwide to disseminate new ideas.
TeslaNikola Tesla, Serbian inventor who developed, among many other things, an AC motor. He redesigned some of Thomas Edison's products and was never paid for his services. This could also refer to the American line of electric cars.
thumbnailA small picture related to a link posted to a social media site. A link with more than one thumbnail gives you the opportunity to choose the best one!
tinyURLAmong the first of the link-shorteners. Link shorteners have grown in popularity because of the demand to share links in limited space social media.
trendingTopics on Twitter that receive the greatest notice at a given moment.
tweetupA live meeting of Twitter contacts and others interested in the social media.
UbisoftEuropean video-game manufacturer responsible for, among many others, MYST and Prince of Persia.
(un)followTo follow is to make a contact on Twitter. Unlike other social media platforms, that contact does not have to return follow. To unfollow is to end the contact.
viralAn online production, usually video, reaches an unexpectedly large audience. What makes this happen is not always clear.
vlogA video blog.
wardrivingDriving in search of free Wi-Fi access. Derived from the 80s geek classic film WarGames.
webinarPresentation or seminar presented over the Web.
Whedon
Refers to Joss Whedon, creator of TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, and director of The Avengers.
Wolverine
Wolverine is perhaps the most popular of the X-Men. His abilities include a rapid healing factor, and adamantium-laced skeleton and claws. He was played in film versions by Hugh Jackman.
WordPress
Blog tool and content management system built on PHP and MySQL.
WoWAcronym for the massively multi-player online role-playing game World of Warcraft.
WYSIWYGAcronym meaning "what you see is what you get." Applied to the results of text and code editing.
Don't forget about the #GEEK Mailing List and #GEEK and Proud!
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