Beatnik

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈbiːtnɪk/

Origin

Coined by San Francisco columnist Herb Caen in 1958.

From beat (generation) + cutesy or ironic use of the Russian suffix -ник (-nik). This suffix experienced a surge in English coinages for nicknames and diminutives after the 1957 Soviet launch of the Sputnik program satellite. Compare jazznik.

Full definition of beatnik

Noun

1. A person who dresses in a manner that is not socially acceptable and whose manner of dress reflects a rejection of conventional norms of thought and behavior; nonconformist in dress and behavior
2. A person associated with the Beat Generation of the 1950s and 1960s or its style.