Initialism of near-Earth object.
"The veteran sci-fi author was confused when his publisher told him he needed to work on an assignment that would only make sense if he were a true neo reading their latest series for the first time."
A newcomer to science fiction; a fan who is extremely new and inexperienced with the genre; a beginner.
In plain English: Neo is not actually a noun; it's just a prefix used at the start of words to mean new or modern, so you can't define it as a standalone thing like an object or person.
"The neo was hired to add a modern twist to the historic building's design."
Usage: Use this term informally within sci-fi communities to describe someone just starting out in the fandom, but avoid it when referring to established experts or long-time enthusiasts. It specifically highlights a lack of experience rather than simply indicating recent arrival at an event.
(used as a combining form) recent or new
"`neo' is a combining form in words like `neocolonialism'"
A male given name originating as a coinage.
"Neo is often chosen by parents as a unique male given name that originated from J.R.R. Tolkien's coinage of the character Baggins in The Lord of the Rings."
The word "neo" comes from the Greek prefix meaning "new." While originally used to denote something recent or modern, its popularity was significantly boosted in 1999 when a character in the film The Matrix revealed it as an anagram for "(the) One."