a suffix of nouns that refer, usually derogatorily, to persons who support or are concerned or associated with a particular political cause or group, cultural attitude, or the like:
beatnik, filmnik; no-goodnik; peacenik.
Origin
< Yiddish (cf. nudnik) < Slavic: a personal suffix in Slavic languages in contact with Yiddish
British Dictionary definitions for -nik
-nik
suffix
1.
denoting a person associated with a specified state, belief, or quality: beatnik, refusenik
Word Origin
C20: from Russian -nik, as in Sputnik, and influenced by Yiddish -nik (agent suffix)
Word Origin and History for -nik
as in beatnik, etc., suffix used in word formation from c.1945, from Yiddish -nik (cf. nudnik "a bore"), from Russian -nik, common personal suffix meaning "person or thing associated with or involved in" (cf. nudnik; kolkhoznik "member of a kolkhoz"). Rocketed to popularity with sputnik (q.v.).
Slang definitions & phrases for -nik
-nik
suffix
used to form nouns A person involved in, described by, or doing what is indicated: beatnik/ computernik/ peacenik/ no-goodnik
[1940s+; fr Yiddish fr Russian and other Slavic languages]