Degen
/ˈdiː.dʒɛn/noun
An informal term for a degenerate person, especially someone recklessly involved in gambling, speculation, or high-risk online behavior.
Did you know?The older word “degenerate” shifted from describing descent from an ancestral type to condemning supposedly immoral people, while “degen” later became online shorthand for reckless gamblers and speculators.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenh₁-
“To beget, produce, or come into being”
Ancient Latin
Latin
genus
“Kind, race, stock, or class”
Classical Latin
Latin
degenerare
“To depart from one’s kind or ancestral stock”
Late Latin
Latin
degeneratus
“Degenerated or fallen from an original quality”
15th Century
English
degenerate
“Having declined from an ancestral or expected type; later, morally corrupt”
20th Century
English
degen
“Informal shortening of “degenerate,” associated with reckless gamblers or risk-takers”
21st Century
Internet English
degen
“A slang label for high-risk crypto traders, gamblers, and speculative online participants”