jerk

¹

[ jurk ]

noun

1. a quick, sharp pull, thrust, twist, throw, or the like; a sudden movement:

   The train started with a jerk.

2. a spasmodic, usually involuntary, muscular movement, as the reflex action of pulling the hand away from a flame.
3. any sudden, quick movement of the body, as in dodging something.
4. Slang. a contemptibly rude, inconsiderate, or mean person:

   That jerk just cut me off!

5. (in weightlifting) the raising of a weight from shoulder height to above the head by straightening the arms.
6. jerks, British Informal. physical jerks ( def ).
7. a dance, deriving from the twist, in which the dancers alternately thrust out their pelvises and their shoulders.
8. the jerks, paroxysms or violent spasmodic muscular movements, as resulting from excitement evoked by some religious services.

verb (used with object)

1. to pull, twist, move, thrust, or throw with a quick, suddenly arrested motion:

   She jerked the child by the hand.

2. to utter in a broken, spasmodic way.
3. Informal. to prepare, dispense, and serve (sodas, ice cream, etc.) at a soda fountain.

verb (used without object)

1. to give a jerk or jerks.
2. to move with a quick, sharp motion; move spasmodically.
3. to talk in a broken, spasmodic way.
4. Informal. to work as a soda jerk.
5. to dance the jerk.

verb phrase

1. Slang: Vulgar. to masturbate.

jerk

²

[ jurk ]

verb (used with object)

1. to preserve (meat, especially beef) by cutting in strips and curing by drying in the sun.

adjective

1. being or containing a spicy seasoning mixture flavored with allspice, used especially in Jamaican cooking:

   jerk sauce.

2. prepared with jerk flavorings, especially by barbecuing or grilling:

   jerk chicken.

noun

1. jerky ².

jerk

¹

/ dʒɜːk /

verb

1. to preserve (venison, beef, etc) by cutting into thin strips and curing by drying in the sun

noun

1. Also calledjerky jerked meat, esp beef

jerk

²

/ dʒɜːk /

verb

1. to move or cause to move with an irregular or spasmodic motion
2. to throw, twist, pull, or push (something) abruptly or spasmodically
3. troften foll byout to utter (words, sounds, etc) in a spasmodic, abrupt, or breathless manner

noun

1. an abrupt or spasmodic movement
2. an irregular jolting motion

   the car moved with a jerk

3. informal.
   Also calledphysical jerks plural physical exercises
4. See chorea
   plural a slang word for chorea
5. slang.
   a person regarded with contempt, esp a stupid or ignorant person

Derived Forms

• ˈjerking, adjectivenoun
• ˈjerker, noun

Other Words From

• jerk·er noun
• jerk·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of jerk¹

First recorded in 1540–50; 1935–40 jerk ¹fordef 4; earlier gi(e)rk, ierke; origin uncertain; perhaps dialectal variant of yerk “to draw stitches tight” (shoemaker's term), thus making the shoe ready to wear, from Old English gearcian “to prepare, make ready”

Origin of jerk²

First recorded in 1700–10; back formation from jerky ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of jerk¹

C18: back formation from jerky, from charqui

Origin of jerk²

C16: probably variant of yerk to pull stitches tight in making a shoe; compare Old English gearcian to make ready

Example Sentences

Today, more than two decades after I arrived here in that rental van, this allegiance manifests as knee-jerk defensiveness when others take shots at California.

From MIT Technology Review

In a container, liquid can be levitated over a layer of gas by shaking the container up and down because the repeated, upward jerking motion keeps fluid from dripping into the air below.

From Science News

That would be a heartbreaking experience for anyone to go through, and I’m so sorry that this jerk betrayed your trust like that.

From Outside Online

Make the jerk bleed for your bike and they’re far less likely to bother at all.

From Popular-Science

Bill Gates was widely considered to come off like an evasive jerk in his testimony at the time … Which means he is now perfectly positioned to help Jeff Bezos learn from his mistakes in the Amazon titan’s first appearance before Congress.

From Quartz

You write a lot about how you were a jerk or a snob when it came to comedy or film.

From The Daily Beast

Emetophobia tends to compromise my relationships, turning me into a selfish jerk.

From The Daily Beast

What they found was that most people preferred to work with the lovable fool rather than the competent jerk.

From The Daily Beast

“Either this or stay home and jerk off,” said one guy when I asked why he came tonight.

From The Daily Beast

It is not a knee-jerk response to a sudden perceived threat.

From The Daily Beast

A twist, a sudden jerk, and it was Black Hood who had the signal device now.

From Project Gutenberg

Here the little dogs sit and bark and jerk, ready to dodge into their hole in a moment.

From Project Gutenberg

It made the skin jerk and pull as if he were trying to get rid of an itch without using his hand.

From Project Gutenberg

He said nothing, however, but he went over and gave the bell cord a violent jerk.

From Project Gutenberg

When you tug a boat, you must not jerk at the rope but pull it gently, so I urged Kari to pull it smoothly.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• bounce
• bump
• fling
• flop
• hurtle
• jolt
• lug
• snatch
• thrust
• tug
• twitch
• wiggle
• wrench
• wriggle
• wring
• yank