oun , ▁sl ang ]. ▁A ▁car n ival ▁perform er ▁whose ▁act ▁usually ▁consists ▁of ▁bit ing ▁the ▁head ▁off ▁a ▁live ▁ch icken ▁or ▁s nake ." ▁The ▁te ch ▁revolution ▁found ▁new ▁uses ▁for ▁this ▁word , ▁but ▁it ▁still ▁often ▁con ve ys ▁a ▁der og atory ▁st ing . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Dictionary . com ▁gave ▁five ▁definitions , ▁the ▁fourth ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁" a ▁car n ival ▁perform er ▁who ▁performs ▁sens ation ally ▁mor bid ▁or ▁dis g ust ing ▁acts , ▁as ▁bit ing ▁off ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁a ▁live ▁ch icken ." ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁n erd ▁has ▁a ▁similar , ▁pract ically ▁syn onymous ▁meaning ▁as ▁ge ek , ▁but ▁many ▁choose ▁to ▁identify ▁different ▁con not ations ▁among ▁these ▁two ▁terms , ▁although ▁the ▁differences ▁are ▁disput ed . ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁interview ▁on ▁The ▁Col bert ▁Report , ▁Richard ▁Clar ke ▁said ▁the ▁difference ▁between ▁n erd s ▁and ▁ge eks ▁is ▁" ge eks ▁get ▁it ▁done " ▁or ▁" gg id ". ▁Jul ie ▁Smith ▁defined ▁a ▁ge ek ▁as ▁" a ▁bright ▁young ▁man ▁turned ▁in ward , ▁poor ly ▁social ized , ▁who ▁felt ▁so ▁little ▁kin ship ▁with ▁his ▁own ▁planet ▁that ▁he ▁rout in ely ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁the ▁ones ▁invent ed ▁by ▁his ▁favorite ▁authors , ▁who ▁thought ▁of ▁that ▁secret , ▁dream y ▁place ▁his ▁computer ▁took ▁him ▁to ▁as ▁cy bers pace