Gleek

/ɡliːk/ noun

Definition

A fan or enthusiast of the TV show 'Glee'; also historically means to squirt liquid (especially saliva) through the teeth.

Etymology

The modern meaning comes from 'Glee' (the TV series) plus the suffix '-k' or '-ek' (forming nouns for devotees, like 'geek'). The older meaning comes from the verb 'to gleek,' likely from Middle Dutch or German origins, meaning to spit or spurt.

Kelly Says

The word 'gleek' perfectly captures how fandoms create their own language—within 10 years of Glee premiering, thousands of people called themselves Gleeks! But the older meaning (to squirt saliva) was already in English dictionaries since at least the 1600s, making this one of the few words to completely change meaning through internet culture.

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