Meaning & use
gear head
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableinformal
A person who is very enthusiastic about machines, especially cars and engines.
Grammar: Countable; plural is gear heads. Often used with 'a' or 'the'.
Patterns
- a gear head
- be a gear head
- a real gear head
My uncle is a total gear head who rebuilds old engines.
As a gear head, she spends weekends at car shows.
He's a gear head, so he knows every detail about motorcycles.
nouncountableinformal
A person who loves technology and gadgets.
Grammar: Countable; often used in tech communities.
Patterns
- a tech gear head
- be a gear head
As a gear head, he always has the latest smartphone.
The conference attracted gear heads from all over the world.
Word forms
| plural | gear heads |
|---|
Common combinations
- total gear head
- He's a total gear head when it comes to cars.
- real gear head
- She's a real gear head and can fix any engine.
- car gear head
- The car gear head knew every model.
Synonyms and how they differ
- enthusiast
- A general word for someone with a strong interest; gear head is more specific to machines.
- buff
- Informal for a fan or expert; gear head is narrower, focusing on mechanical things.
- techie
- Focuses on technology; gear head can include cars and engines.
Commonly confused: gear head or gearhead?
gear head vs gearhead
Same meaning, but spelled as one word. Both are accepted.
Practice
What does 'gear head' mean?
Choose one answer.
A gear head is an informal term for someone passionate about machines, especially cars. The other options are not related to the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gear head”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.