I have a question

What is a beatnik? I have heard the term a lot but am unsure as to it's real meaning.

 

Maynard G. Krebs was a beatnik.

http://www.bluesforpeace.com/beat.htm

Mutt

 

A person, especially a member or follower of the Beat Generation, whose behavior, views, and often style of dress are pointedly unconventional.

 

I think the term applied originally to fans of beat poetry.

According to Merriam-Webster:

Main Entry: beat·nik
Pronunciation: 'bEt-nik
Function: noun
Etymology: [3]beat + -nik
Date: 1958
: a person who rejects the mores of established society (as by dressing and behaving unconventionally) and indulges in exotic philosophizing and self-expression