Added 10 October 2026
beatnik
/ˈbiːtnɪk/ noun
In Latin: none, coined in 1958 Coined: 1958, by Herb Caen Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about beatnik at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A member of the beat generation; a nonconformist in dress and behavior.
Origin
Coined by American columnist Herb Caen in 1958. From beat (generation) + -nik (“person who exemplifies or endorses something”). Compare jazznik. The suffix, a cutesy or ironic use of the Russian suffix -ник (-nik), experienced a surge of use in English coinages for nicknames and diminutives after the 1957 Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)