Sci-Fi Nerd Alert: “Grok” was Valentine Michael Smith’s rendering for human ears and vocal cords of a Martian word with a precise denotational semantic of “to

Sci-Fi Nerd Alert: “Grok” was Valentine Michael Smith’s rendering for human ears and vocal cords of a Martian word with a precise denotational semantic of “to drink”. The connotational semantics range from to literally or figuratively “drink deeply” all the way up through to consume the absented carcass of a cherished one. I highly recommend Stranger in A Strange Land (and make sure to get the unabridged re-issue, 1990 IIRC).