Eggheads

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term used to describe highly educated individuals often perceived as overly intellectual or scholarly
2. Referring to people, especially in academia or research, who prioritize knowledge and intellect over practical skills
3. Describing those with advanced degrees or expertise in a specific field, sometimes used pejoratively to imply aloofness or social ineptitude

Etymology: "Eggheads" is simply the plural of "egghead", a compound of "egg" and "head", with the head taken as the seat of the mind and the egg as a figure for its smooth, round shape. The image of a bald or hairless skull is the usual explanation for the earliest uses, so the sense of an intellectual rather than a person with a shaped head came from the metaphor rather than any physical trait. The compound is built from two plain English words, which is why it reads so transparently. Its meaning moved from a description of the head itself toward a label for someone whose gifts lie in thinking rather than in doing things with their hands. The plural form applies that label to a group, usually of academics or researchers, and the word carries a faintly teasing tone when used from outside those circles.

Synonyms: intellects, brains, scholars, academics, geeks

Antonyms: simpletons, dullards, ignorants, fools