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jerk

Flag: gbEnglishMerriam-Webster Dictionary
jerk
noun (1)
ˈjərk

Definition (Entry 1 of 4)

  • an annoyingly stupid or foolish person //was acting like a jerk
    an unlikable person
    especially one who is cruel, rude, or small-minded //a selfish jerk
  • a single quick motion of short duration //a sudden jerk //gave the handle a jerk
  • jolting, bouncing, or thrusting motions
    a tendency to produce spasmodic motions
  • an involuntary spasmodic muscular movement due to reflex action
    jerks plural involuntary twitchings due to nervous excitement
  • the pushing of a weight from shoulder height to a position overhead the second phase of the clean and jerk in weight lifting
verb (1)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 2 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to give a quick suddenly arrested push, pull, or twist to //jerk a rope
  • to propel or move with or as if with a quick suddenly arrested motion //jerked the door open
  • to mix and serve (drinks, such as sodas) behind a soda fountain
  • intransitive ​verb
  • to make a sudden spasmodic motion //Her hand jerked up suddenly.
  • to move in short abrupt motions or with frequent jolts
noun (2)
plural jerk

Definition (Entry 3 of 4)

  • a sweet and spicy dish of Jamaican origin that typically consists of pieces of meat, seafood, or vegetables that are marinated (as with green onion, thyme, allspice, chili pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon) and barbecued //Jerk is a savory, flavorful result of the combination of African and native cultures on the island. … All Jamaicans have their own variations on jerk. — Helen Willinsky //[The Maroons] … hunted wild pigs and deer for food. A kill ensured food, and preservation of the meat guaranteed sustenance during lean hunting or foraging times. Jerk as we know it today could have evolved from this early method of preserving meat using the island's spices. — Melissa Thompson //Since dawn, Taylor Dudley of Boston Beach, Jamaica, has been at work turning a pig and plenty of hot peppers into jerk, the island's devilishly hot answer to barbecue. — Kathleen Beckett-Young —often used before another noun //Done right, jerk chicken is one of the great barbecue traditions of the world … — Julia Moskin //The neck bones are marinated overnight in jerk spices, seared on the charcoal grill for color and flavor and then slow cooked in the oven. — Shelia Johnson //Turning over layers of chicken wings to be doused in her mother's secret jerk sauce, she said cooking was an important tradition in her family. — Lori Teresa Yearwood //[Rukmini] Iyer's jerk cauliflower wings are a good encapsulation of her approach, which layers texture and flavor … — Rebecca Flint Marx
verb (2)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 4 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to prepare or marinate (meat, seafood, or vegetables) in the style of Jamaican jerk (see jerk entry 3) //Pork has been jerked in Jamaica at least since the mid-seventeenth century. Methods of pit cooking were brought to the island by African slaves, and these methods were probably the beginnings of jerk cooking techniques—though the native West Indians also cooked food on green wood lattices over open fire. — Helen Willinsky //Right next to a Jamaican vendor jerking chicken and roasting fish on a barrel, a thick white smoke rose into the damp air … — Morlette Cowan
  • to preserve (meat) in long dried slices //[Meat cutter] Olen Carpenito said he hopes to expand the business soon, perhaps offering to jerk meat for customers or opening a retail store. — Vicki McClure //… deer hunters are often people of firm opinion, and many of them have their own ways of jerking venison. — A. D. Livingston
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • jerk​er noun
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Noun (1)
bastard beast bleeder [British] blighter [chiefly British] boor bounder bugger buzzard cad chuff churl clown creep cretin crud [slang] crumb [slang] cur dirtbag [slang] dog fink heel hound joker louse lout pill rat rat fink reptile rotter schmuck [slang] scum scumbag [slang] scuzzball [slang] skunk sleaze sleazebag [slang] sleazeball [slang] slime slimeball [slang] slob snake so-and-so sod [chiefly British] stinkard stinker swine toad varmint vermin
Synonyms: Verb (1)
buck hitch hoick jolt twitch yank
Examples
Noun (1)
  • //That jerk can't do anything right.
  • //Most of the kids are nice, but some are jerks.
  • //The dead branch came loose after a few jerks.
  • //He felt the jerk of the line as a fish took the bait.
  • //The car started with a jerk.
Verb (1)
  • //I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit
  • //jerked the leash to get the dog's attention
  • //you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident
  • //the car jerked with every shift of the gear
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1575, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb (1)
1589, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1928, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1709, in the meaning defined at sense 2
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
derivative of jerk entry 2; (sense 1) probably short for jerk-off "stupid or foolish person," noun derivative of jerk off
Verb (1)
earlier sense "to strike with whip or switch, lash"; perhaps expressive variant of yerk entry 1
Noun (2)
noun derivative of jerk entry 4
Verb (2)
probably back-formation from jerked, earlier girk't, jerkt "(of meat) cured by being cut into long slices and dried," formed with -ed entry 1 either from American Spanish charqui "meat cured in this manner" or from the English adjective jerkin in same sense (probably ultimately borrowed from southern Peruvian Quechua ch'arkini "to cure meat in this manner," causative derivative of ch'arki "cured meat") — more at jerky entry 2
jerk
verb

Synonyms (Entry 1 of 2)

noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 2 of 2)

jerk
noun (1)
ˈjərk

Definition (Entry 1 of 4)

  • an annoyingly stupid or foolish person //was acting like a jerk
    an unlikable person
    especially one who is cruel, rude, or small-minded //a selfish jerk
  • a single quick motion of short duration //a sudden jerk //gave the handle a jerk
  • jolting, bouncing, or thrusting motions
    a tendency to produce spasmodic motions
  • an involuntary spasmodic muscular movement due to reflex action
    jerks plural involuntary twitchings due to nervous excitement
  • the pushing of a weight from shoulder height to a position overhead the second phase of the clean and jerk in weight lifting
verb (1)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 2 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to give a quick suddenly arrested push, pull, or twist to //jerk a rope
  • to propel or move with or as if with a quick suddenly arrested motion //jerked the door open
  • to mix and serve (drinks, such as sodas) behind a soda fountain
  • intransitive ​verb
  • to make a sudden spasmodic motion //Her hand jerked up suddenly.
  • to move in short abrupt motions or with frequent jolts
noun (2)
plural jerk

Definition (Entry 3 of 4)

  • a sweet and spicy dish of Jamaican origin that typically consists of pieces of meat, seafood, or vegetables that are marinated (as with green onion, thyme, allspice, chili pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon) and barbecued //Jerk is a savory, flavorful result of the combination of African and native cultures on the island. … All Jamaicans have their own variations on jerk. — Helen Willinsky //[The Maroons] … hunted wild pigs and deer for food. A kill ensured food, and preservation of the meat guaranteed sustenance during lean hunting or foraging times. Jerk as we know it today could have evolved from this early method of preserving meat using the island's spices. — Melissa Thompson //Since dawn, Taylor Dudley of Boston Beach, Jamaica, has been at work turning a pig and plenty of hot peppers into jerk, the island's devilishly hot answer to barbecue. — Kathleen Beckett-Young —often used before another noun //Done right, jerk chicken is one of the great barbecue traditions of the world … — Julia Moskin //The neck bones are marinated overnight in jerk spices, seared on the charcoal grill for color and flavor and then slow cooked in the oven. — Shelia Johnson //Turning over layers of chicken wings to be doused in her mother's secret jerk sauce, she said cooking was an important tradition in her family. — Lori Teresa Yearwood //[Rukmini] Iyer's jerk cauliflower wings are a good encapsulation of her approach, which layers texture and flavor … — Rebecca Flint Marx
verb (2)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 4 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to prepare or marinate (meat, seafood, or vegetables) in the style of Jamaican jerk (see jerk entry 3) //Pork has been jerked in Jamaica at least since the mid-seventeenth century. Methods of pit cooking were brought to the island by African slaves, and these methods were probably the beginnings of jerk cooking techniques—though the native West Indians also cooked food on green wood lattices over open fire. — Helen Willinsky //Right next to a Jamaican vendor jerking chicken and roasting fish on a barrel, a thick white smoke rose into the damp air … — Morlette Cowan
  • to preserve (meat) in long dried slices //[Meat cutter] Olen Carpenito said he hopes to expand the business soon, perhaps offering to jerk meat for customers or opening a retail store. — Vicki McClure //… deer hunters are often people of firm opinion, and many of them have their own ways of jerking venison. — A. D. Livingston
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • jerk​er noun
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Noun (1)
bastard beast bleeder [British] blighter [chiefly British] boor bounder bugger buzzard cad chuff churl clown creep cretin crud [slang] crumb [slang] cur dirtbag [slang] dog fink heel hound joker louse lout pill rat rat fink reptile rotter schmuck [slang] scum scumbag [slang] scuzzball [slang] skunk sleaze sleazebag [slang] sleazeball [slang] slime slimeball [slang] slob snake so-and-so sod [chiefly British] stinkard stinker swine toad varmint vermin
Synonyms: Verb (1)
buck hitch hoick jolt twitch yank
Examples
Noun (1)
  • //That jerk can't do anything right.
  • //Most of the kids are nice, but some are jerks.
  • //The dead branch came loose after a few jerks.
  • //He felt the jerk of the line as a fish took the bait.
  • //The car started with a jerk.
Verb (1)
  • //I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit
  • //jerked the leash to get the dog's attention
  • //you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident
  • //the car jerked with every shift of the gear
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1575, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb (1)
1589, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1928, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1709, in the meaning defined at sense 2
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
derivative of jerk entry 2; (sense 1) probably short for jerk-off "stupid or foolish person," noun derivative of jerk off
Verb (1)
earlier sense "to strike with whip or switch, lash"; perhaps expressive variant of yerk entry 1
Noun (2)
noun derivative of jerk entry 4
Verb (2)
probably back-formation from jerked, earlier girk't, jerkt "(of meat) cured by being cut into long slices and dried," formed with -ed entry 1 either from American Spanish charqui "meat cured in this manner" or from the English adjective jerkin in same sense (probably ultimately borrowed from southern Peruvian Quechua ch'arkini "to cure meat in this manner," causative derivative of ch'arki "cured meat") — more at jerky entry 2
jerk
verb

Synonyms (Entry 1 of 2)

noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 2 of 2)

jerk
noun (1)
ˈjərk

Definition (Entry 1 of 4)

  • an annoyingly stupid or foolish person //was acting like a jerk
    an unlikable person
    especially one who is cruel, rude, or small-minded //a selfish jerk
  • a single quick motion of short duration //a sudden jerk //gave the handle a jerk
  • jolting, bouncing, or thrusting motions
    a tendency to produce spasmodic motions
  • an involuntary spasmodic muscular movement due to reflex action
    jerks plural involuntary twitchings due to nervous excitement
  • the pushing of a weight from shoulder height to a position overhead the second phase of the clean and jerk in weight lifting
verb (1)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 2 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to give a quick suddenly arrested push, pull, or twist to //jerk a rope
  • to propel or move with or as if with a quick suddenly arrested motion //jerked the door open
  • to mix and serve (drinks, such as sodas) behind a soda fountain
  • intransitive ​verb
  • to make a sudden spasmodic motion //Her hand jerked up suddenly.
  • to move in short abrupt motions or with frequent jolts
noun (2)
plural jerk

Definition (Entry 3 of 4)

  • a sweet and spicy dish of Jamaican origin that typically consists of pieces of meat, seafood, or vegetables that are marinated (as with green onion, thyme, allspice, chili pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon) and barbecued //Jerk is a savory, flavorful result of the combination of African and native cultures on the island. … All Jamaicans have their own variations on jerk. — Helen Willinsky //[The Maroons] … hunted wild pigs and deer for food. A kill ensured food, and preservation of the meat guaranteed sustenance during lean hunting or foraging times. Jerk as we know it today could have evolved from this early method of preserving meat using the island's spices. — Melissa Thompson //Since dawn, Taylor Dudley of Boston Beach, Jamaica, has been at work turning a pig and plenty of hot peppers into jerk, the island's devilishly hot answer to barbecue. — Kathleen Beckett-Young —often used before another noun //Done right, jerk chicken is one of the great barbecue traditions of the world … — Julia Moskin //The neck bones are marinated overnight in jerk spices, seared on the charcoal grill for color and flavor and then slow cooked in the oven. — Shelia Johnson //Turning over layers of chicken wings to be doused in her mother's secret jerk sauce, she said cooking was an important tradition in her family. — Lori Teresa Yearwood //[Rukmini] Iyer's jerk cauliflower wings are a good encapsulation of her approach, which layers texture and flavor … — Rebecca Flint Marx
verb (2)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 4 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to prepare or marinate (meat, seafood, or vegetables) in the style of Jamaican jerk (see jerk entry 3) //Pork has been jerked in Jamaica at least since the mid-seventeenth century. Methods of pit cooking were brought to the island by African slaves, and these methods were probably the beginnings of jerk cooking techniques—though the native West Indians also cooked food on green wood lattices over open fire. — Helen Willinsky //Right next to a Jamaican vendor jerking chicken and roasting fish on a barrel, a thick white smoke rose into the damp air … — Morlette Cowan
  • to preserve (meat) in long dried slices //[Meat cutter] Olen Carpenito said he hopes to expand the business soon, perhaps offering to jerk meat for customers or opening a retail store. — Vicki McClure //… deer hunters are often people of firm opinion, and many of them have their own ways of jerking venison. — A. D. Livingston
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • jerk​er noun
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Noun (1)
bastard beast bleeder [British] blighter [chiefly British] boor bounder bugger buzzard cad chuff churl clown creep cretin crud [slang] crumb [slang] cur dirtbag [slang] dog fink heel hound joker louse lout pill rat rat fink reptile rotter schmuck [slang] scum scumbag [slang] scuzzball [slang] skunk sleaze sleazebag [slang] sleazeball [slang] slime slimeball [slang] slob snake so-and-so sod [chiefly British] stinkard stinker swine toad varmint vermin
Synonyms: Verb (1)
buck hitch hoick jolt twitch yank
Examples
Noun (1)
  • //That jerk can't do anything right.
  • //Most of the kids are nice, but some are jerks.
  • //The dead branch came loose after a few jerks.
  • //He felt the jerk of the line as a fish took the bait.
  • //The car started with a jerk.
Verb (1)
  • //I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit
  • //jerked the leash to get the dog's attention
  • //you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident
  • //the car jerked with every shift of the gear
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1575, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb (1)
1589, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1928, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1709, in the meaning defined at sense 2
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
derivative of jerk entry 2; (sense 1) probably short for jerk-off "stupid or foolish person," noun derivative of jerk off
Verb (1)
earlier sense "to strike with whip or switch, lash"; perhaps expressive variant of yerk entry 1
Noun (2)
noun derivative of jerk entry 4
Verb (2)
probably back-formation from jerked, earlier girk't, jerkt "(of meat) cured by being cut into long slices and dried," formed with -ed entry 1 either from American Spanish charqui "meat cured in this manner" or from the English adjective jerkin in same sense (probably ultimately borrowed from southern Peruvian Quechua ch'arkini "to cure meat in this manner," causative derivative of ch'arki "cured meat") — more at jerky entry 2
jerk
verb

Synonyms (Entry 1 of 2)

noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 2 of 2)

jerk
noun (1)
ˈjərk

Definition (Entry 1 of 4)

  • an annoyingly stupid or foolish person //was acting like a jerk
    an unlikable person
    especially one who is cruel, rude, or small-minded //a selfish jerk
  • a single quick motion of short duration //a sudden jerk //gave the handle a jerk
  • jolting, bouncing, or thrusting motions
    a tendency to produce spasmodic motions
  • an involuntary spasmodic muscular movement due to reflex action
    jerks plural involuntary twitchings due to nervous excitement
  • the pushing of a weight from shoulder height to a position overhead the second phase of the clean and jerk in weight lifting
verb (1)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 2 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to give a quick suddenly arrested push, pull, or twist to //jerk a rope
  • to propel or move with or as if with a quick suddenly arrested motion //jerked the door open
  • to mix and serve (drinks, such as sodas) behind a soda fountain
  • intransitive ​verb
  • to make a sudden spasmodic motion //Her hand jerked up suddenly.
  • to move in short abrupt motions or with frequent jolts
noun (2)
plural jerk

Definition (Entry 3 of 4)

  • a sweet and spicy dish of Jamaican origin that typically consists of pieces of meat, seafood, or vegetables that are marinated (as with green onion, thyme, allspice, chili pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon) and barbecued //Jerk is a savory, flavorful result of the combination of African and native cultures on the island. … All Jamaicans have their own variations on jerk. — Helen Willinsky //[The Maroons] … hunted wild pigs and deer for food. A kill ensured food, and preservation of the meat guaranteed sustenance during lean hunting or foraging times. Jerk as we know it today could have evolved from this early method of preserving meat using the island's spices. — Melissa Thompson //Since dawn, Taylor Dudley of Boston Beach, Jamaica, has been at work turning a pig and plenty of hot peppers into jerk, the island's devilishly hot answer to barbecue. — Kathleen Beckett-Young —often used before another noun //Done right, jerk chicken is one of the great barbecue traditions of the world … — Julia Moskin //The neck bones are marinated overnight in jerk spices, seared on the charcoal grill for color and flavor and then slow cooked in the oven. — Shelia Johnson //Turning over layers of chicken wings to be doused in her mother's secret jerk sauce, she said cooking was an important tradition in her family. — Lori Teresa Yearwood //[Rukmini] Iyer's jerk cauliflower wings are a good encapsulation of her approach, which layers texture and flavor … — Rebecca Flint Marx
verb (2)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 4 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to prepare or marinate (meat, seafood, or vegetables) in the style of Jamaican jerk (see jerk entry 3) //Pork has been jerked in Jamaica at least since the mid-seventeenth century. Methods of pit cooking were brought to the island by African slaves, and these methods were probably the beginnings of jerk cooking techniques—though the native West Indians also cooked food on green wood lattices over open fire. — Helen Willinsky //Right next to a Jamaican vendor jerking chicken and roasting fish on a barrel, a thick white smoke rose into the damp air … — Morlette Cowan
  • to preserve (meat) in long dried slices //[Meat cutter] Olen Carpenito said he hopes to expand the business soon, perhaps offering to jerk meat for customers or opening a retail store. — Vicki McClure //… deer hunters are often people of firm opinion, and many of them have their own ways of jerking venison. — A. D. Livingston
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • jerk​er noun
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Noun (1)
bastard beast bleeder [British] blighter [chiefly British] boor bounder bugger buzzard cad chuff churl clown creep cretin crud [slang] crumb [slang] cur dirtbag [slang] dog fink heel hound joker louse lout pill rat rat fink reptile rotter schmuck [slang] scum scumbag [slang] scuzzball [slang] skunk sleaze sleazebag [slang] sleazeball [slang] slime slimeball [slang] slob snake so-and-so sod [chiefly British] stinkard stinker swine toad varmint vermin
Synonyms: Verb (1)
buck hitch hoick jolt twitch yank
Examples
Noun (1)
  • //That jerk can't do anything right.
  • //Most of the kids are nice, but some are jerks.
  • //The dead branch came loose after a few jerks.
  • //He felt the jerk of the line as a fish took the bait.
  • //The car started with a jerk.
Verb (1)
  • //I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit
  • //jerked the leash to get the dog's attention
  • //you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident
  • //the car jerked with every shift of the gear
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1575, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb (1)
1589, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1928, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1709, in the meaning defined at sense 2
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
derivative of jerk entry 2; (sense 1) probably short for jerk-off "stupid or foolish person," noun derivative of jerk off
Verb (1)
earlier sense "to strike with whip or switch, lash"; perhaps expressive variant of yerk entry 1
Noun (2)
noun derivative of jerk entry 4
Verb (2)
probably back-formation from jerked, earlier girk't, jerkt "(of meat) cured by being cut into long slices and dried," formed with -ed entry 1 either from American Spanish charqui "meat cured in this manner" or from the English adjective jerkin in same sense (probably ultimately borrowed from southern Peruvian Quechua ch'arkini "to cure meat in this manner," causative derivative of ch'arki "cured meat") — more at jerky entry 2
jerk
verb

Synonyms (Entry 1 of 2)

noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 2 of 2)

jerk
noun (1)
ˈjərk

Definition (Entry 1 of 4)

  • an annoyingly stupid or foolish person //was acting like a jerk
    an unlikable person
    especially one who is cruel, rude, or small-minded //a selfish jerk
  • a single quick motion of short duration //a sudden jerk //gave the handle a jerk
  • jolting, bouncing, or thrusting motions
    a tendency to produce spasmodic motions
  • an involuntary spasmodic muscular movement due to reflex action
    jerks plural involuntary twitchings due to nervous excitement
  • the pushing of a weight from shoulder height to a position overhead the second phase of the clean and jerk in weight lifting
verb (1)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 2 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to give a quick suddenly arrested push, pull, or twist to //jerk a rope
  • to propel or move with or as if with a quick suddenly arrested motion //jerked the door open
  • to mix and serve (drinks, such as sodas) behind a soda fountain
  • intransitive ​verb
  • to make a sudden spasmodic motion //Her hand jerked up suddenly.
  • to move in short abrupt motions or with frequent jolts
noun (2)
plural jerk

Definition (Entry 3 of 4)

  • a sweet and spicy dish of Jamaican origin that typically consists of pieces of meat, seafood, or vegetables that are marinated (as with green onion, thyme, allspice, chili pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon) and barbecued //Jerk is a savory, flavorful result of the combination of African and native cultures on the island. … All Jamaicans have their own variations on jerk. — Helen Willinsky //[The Maroons] … hunted wild pigs and deer for food. A kill ensured food, and preservation of the meat guaranteed sustenance during lean hunting or foraging times. Jerk as we know it today could have evolved from this early method of preserving meat using the island's spices. — Melissa Thompson //Since dawn, Taylor Dudley of Boston Beach, Jamaica, has been at work turning a pig and plenty of hot peppers into jerk, the island's devilishly hot answer to barbecue. — Kathleen Beckett-Young —often used before another noun //Done right, jerk chicken is one of the great barbecue traditions of the world … — Julia Moskin //The neck bones are marinated overnight in jerk spices, seared on the charcoal grill for color and flavor and then slow cooked in the oven. — Shelia Johnson //Turning over layers of chicken wings to be doused in her mother's secret jerk sauce, she said cooking was an important tradition in her family. — Lori Teresa Yearwood //[Rukmini] Iyer's jerk cauliflower wings are a good encapsulation of her approach, which layers texture and flavor … — Rebecca Flint Marx
verb (2)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 4 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to prepare or marinate (meat, seafood, or vegetables) in the style of Jamaican jerk (see jerk entry 3) //Pork has been jerked in Jamaica at least since the mid-seventeenth century. Methods of pit cooking were brought to the island by African slaves, and these methods were probably the beginnings of jerk cooking techniques—though the native West Indians also cooked food on green wood lattices over open fire. — Helen Willinsky //Right next to a Jamaican vendor jerking chicken and roasting fish on a barrel, a thick white smoke rose into the damp air … — Morlette Cowan
  • to preserve (meat) in long dried slices //[Meat cutter] Olen Carpenito said he hopes to expand the business soon, perhaps offering to jerk meat for customers or opening a retail store. — Vicki McClure //… deer hunters are often people of firm opinion, and many of them have their own ways of jerking venison. — A. D. Livingston
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • jerk​er noun
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Noun (1)
bastard beast bleeder [British] blighter [chiefly British] boor bounder bugger buzzard cad chuff churl clown creep cretin crud [slang] crumb [slang] cur dirtbag [slang] dog fink heel hound joker louse lout pill rat rat fink reptile rotter schmuck [slang] scum scumbag [slang] scuzzball [slang] skunk sleaze sleazebag [slang] sleazeball [slang] slime slimeball [slang] slob snake so-and-so sod [chiefly British] stinkard stinker swine toad varmint vermin
Synonyms: Verb (1)
buck hitch hoick jolt twitch yank
Examples
Noun (1)
  • //That jerk can't do anything right.
  • //Most of the kids are nice, but some are jerks.
  • //The dead branch came loose after a few jerks.
  • //He felt the jerk of the line as a fish took the bait.
  • //The car started with a jerk.
Verb (1)
  • //I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit
  • //jerked the leash to get the dog's attention
  • //you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident
  • //the car jerked with every shift of the gear
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1575, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb (1)
1589, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1928, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1709, in the meaning defined at sense 2
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
derivative of jerk entry 2; (sense 1) probably short for jerk-off "stupid or foolish person," noun derivative of jerk off
Verb (1)
earlier sense "to strike with whip or switch, lash"; perhaps expressive variant of yerk entry 1
Noun (2)
noun derivative of jerk entry 4
Verb (2)
probably back-formation from jerked, earlier girk't, jerkt "(of meat) cured by being cut into long slices and dried," formed with -ed entry 1 either from American Spanish charqui "meat cured in this manner" or from the English adjective jerkin in same sense (probably ultimately borrowed from southern Peruvian Quechua ch'arkini "to cure meat in this manner," causative derivative of ch'arki "cured meat") — more at jerky entry 2
jerk
verb

Synonyms (Entry 1 of 2)

noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 2 of 2)

jerk
noun (1)
ˈjərk

Definition (Entry 1 of 4)

  • an annoyingly stupid or foolish person //was acting like a jerk
    an unlikable person
    especially one who is cruel, rude, or small-minded //a selfish jerk
  • a single quick motion of short duration //a sudden jerk //gave the handle a jerk
  • jolting, bouncing, or thrusting motions
    a tendency to produce spasmodic motions
  • an involuntary spasmodic muscular movement due to reflex action
    jerks plural involuntary twitchings due to nervous excitement
  • the pushing of a weight from shoulder height to a position overhead the second phase of the clean and jerk in weight lifting
verb (1)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 2 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to give a quick suddenly arrested push, pull, or twist to //jerk a rope
  • to propel or move with or as if with a quick suddenly arrested motion //jerked the door open
  • to mix and serve (drinks, such as sodas) behind a soda fountain
  • intransitive ​verb
  • to make a sudden spasmodic motion //Her hand jerked up suddenly.
  • to move in short abrupt motions or with frequent jolts
noun (2)
plural jerk

Definition (Entry 3 of 4)

  • a sweet and spicy dish of Jamaican origin that typically consists of pieces of meat, seafood, or vegetables that are marinated (as with green onion, thyme, allspice, chili pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon) and barbecued //Jerk is a savory, flavorful result of the combination of African and native cultures on the island. … All Jamaicans have their own variations on jerk. — Helen Willinsky //[The Maroons] … hunted wild pigs and deer for food. A kill ensured food, and preservation of the meat guaranteed sustenance during lean hunting or foraging times. Jerk as we know it today could have evolved from this early method of preserving meat using the island's spices. — Melissa Thompson //Since dawn, Taylor Dudley of Boston Beach, Jamaica, has been at work turning a pig and plenty of hot peppers into jerk, the island's devilishly hot answer to barbecue. — Kathleen Beckett-Young —often used before another noun //Done right, jerk chicken is one of the great barbecue traditions of the world … — Julia Moskin //The neck bones are marinated overnight in jerk spices, seared on the charcoal grill for color and flavor and then slow cooked in the oven. — Shelia Johnson //Turning over layers of chicken wings to be doused in her mother's secret jerk sauce, she said cooking was an important tradition in her family. — Lori Teresa Yearwood //[Rukmini] Iyer's jerk cauliflower wings are a good encapsulation of her approach, which layers texture and flavor … — Rebecca Flint Marx
verb (2)
jerked; jerk​ing; jerks

Definition (Entry 4 of 4)

  • transitive ​verb
  • to prepare or marinate (meat, seafood, or vegetables) in the style of Jamaican jerk (see jerk entry 3) //Pork has been jerked in Jamaica at least since the mid-seventeenth century. Methods of pit cooking were brought to the island by African slaves, and these methods were probably the beginnings of jerk cooking techniques—though the native West Indians also cooked food on green wood lattices over open fire. — Helen Willinsky //Right next to a Jamaican vendor jerking chicken and roasting fish on a barrel, a thick white smoke rose into the damp air … — Morlette Cowan
  • to preserve (meat) in long dried slices //[Meat cutter] Olen Carpenito said he hopes to expand the business soon, perhaps offering to jerk meat for customers or opening a retail store. — Vicki McClure //… deer hunters are often people of firm opinion, and many of them have their own ways of jerking venison. — A. D. Livingston
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • jerk​er noun
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Noun (1)
bastard beast bleeder [British] blighter [chiefly British] boor bounder bugger buzzard cad chuff churl clown creep cretin crud [slang] crumb [slang] cur dirtbag [slang] dog fink heel hound joker louse lout pill rat rat fink reptile rotter schmuck [slang] scum scumbag [slang] scuzzball [slang] skunk sleaze sleazebag [slang] sleazeball [slang] slime slimeball [slang] slob snake so-and-so sod [chiefly British] stinkard stinker swine toad varmint vermin
Synonyms: Verb (1)
buck hitch hoick jolt twitch yank
Examples
Noun (1)
  • //That jerk can't do anything right.
  • //Most of the kids are nice, but some are jerks.
  • //The dead branch came loose after a few jerks.
  • //He felt the jerk of the line as a fish took the bait.
  • //The car started with a jerk.
Verb (1)
  • //I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit
  • //jerked the leash to get the dog's attention
  • //you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident
  • //the car jerked with every shift of the gear
First Known Use
Noun (1)
1575, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb (1)
1589, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1928, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1709, in the meaning defined at sense 2
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
derivative of jerk entry 2; (sense 1) probably short for jerk-off "stupid or foolish person," noun derivative of jerk off
Verb (1)
earlier sense "to strike with whip or switch, lash"; perhaps expressive variant of yerk entry 1
Noun (2)
noun derivative of jerk entry 4
Verb (2)
probably back-formation from jerked, earlier girk't, jerkt "(of meat) cured by being cut into long slices and dried," formed with -ed entry 1 either from American Spanish charqui "meat cured in this manner" or from the English adjective jerkin in same sense (probably ultimately borrowed from southern Peruvian Quechua ch'arkini "to cure meat in this manner," causative derivative of ch'arki "cured meat") — more at jerky entry 2
jerk
verb

Synonyms (Entry 1 of 2)

noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 2 of 2)