In a rare address to military commanders on Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stressed the importance of grooming standards, even using the sometimes derogatory term “beardos.”

“The era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos,” Hegseth told the audience, which sat in silence, according to Reuters.

What does ‘beardo’ mean?

The most common and direct meaning of the term is a person with a beard, according to online dictionaries.

It can be complimentary or an insult, depending on context and tone. “Beardo” can combine the terms “beard” and “weirdo,” some dictionaries said.

On Urban Dictionary, the entries agree.

“A weirdo with a beard,” are the top two results on the site.

A more in-depth definition on Urban Dictionary said: “An all-around weird man (shape, appearance, voice, choice of words) with eccentric love for his beard.”

The Oxford English Dictionary classifies “beardo” as a derogatory term.

“Beardo” is also a popular Indian brand of men’s grooming and lifestyle products, and the turquoise bear villager from Animal Crossing.

Some results of a simple Google search pointed to the root term “beard” in reference to the opposite-sex partner/spouse of a closeted queer person.

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