A nerd is a pejorative, anti-intellectual, slang term for someone who is generally intelligent and accomplished in an unfashionable and/or difficult subject (often of a scientific or technical nature), yet is considered to be boring, socially inept and disinterested in gossip or fashion.
Although nerds are often mocked for lacking interest in Hollywood values or their poor dress sense, they are often the most productive and innovative members of society, dedicating themselves in lifelong research to discover a cure for a fatal disease or decyphering an important historical text.
Nerds' natural shyness often leads to difficulty in meeting and interacting with members of the opposite sex. However, when married they usually make faithful and devoted spouses.
The origin of the term is most often attributed to an angry little man in Dr. Seuss's book If I Ran the Zoo, published in 1950.