Terp

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An informal term often referring to a person who provides guidance or support, especially in academic settings
2. a slang expression for someone who is enthusiastic about a particular subject
3. a colloquial label for an individual engaged in activities related to cannabis culture

Etymology: The noun "terp" has a surprising double life. Its most common modern sense, an eager devotee of a hobby, is a clipping of "terpsichore" from "Terpsichore", the Greek muse of dance and the dramatic chorus. The same spelling also shows up as a clipping of "interpreter" and as a clipping of "terpene", the chemical family of compounds found in plant oils, so readers encountering it may be thinking of any of three different words. A separate, older sense comes from Dutch. "Terp" there is a word for a raised mound of earth built on the low-lying coastal marshes of the Netherlands and northern Germany, where communities constructed them as refuges from floodwaters. The English word "thorp" and "thorpe", meaning a village or hamlet, is related to this Dutch term, so the same ancient idea of settlement on higher ground lies behind both.

Synonyms: mound, hill, elevation

Antonyms: depression, valley, dip