nerdcore

English

Etymology

From nerd +‎ -core.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈnɜːdˌkɔː/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈnɝdˌkɔɹ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

nerdcore (uncountable)

1. (music, humorous) An intentionally nerdy style of hip-hop music.
   • 2007 August 5, Alex Williams, “Dungeons, Dragons and Dope Beats”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Many nerdcore anthems — “You Got Asperger’s” by MC Frontalot, “Fett’s Vette” by MC Chris, “View Source,” by Ytcracker (“Eagerly awaiting my macro advances/running with my beta cuz I’m taking chances”) — are as much efforts at comedy as they are attempts at sincere hip-hop.

   • 2008 July, GameAxis Unwired:

     A nerdcore track would take loop samples not from popular industrial tracks, but from the synthesizers of a popular NES game like Dig Dug…

   • 2008, Benjamin Nugent, American Nerd: The Story of My People:

     Self-styled “nerdcore” rappers wear pocket protectors and rhyme about hard drives.

2. (slang, chiefly attributive) The most dedicated nerds, especially in terms of computer ability.
   • 2007 December, HWM:

     We're tech reviewers, not nerdcore programmers…

   • 2009 March 28, Darren Zenko, “Exploring the Wii’s retro charms”, in Toronto Star‎^[2]:

     But the warmest spot in my nerdcore heart is reserved for the old-school pleasures of the Wii Virtual Console.

   • 2008, Windows Vista magazine (Winter 2008)

     But it takes the right kind of noodle to make a great gaming rig worthy of the “nerdcore elite” (and we mean that in a good way) without spending a fortune.

See also

• geeksta

Anagrams

• cornered