jerk

Meaning

Noun

1. A sudden, often uncontrolled movement, especially of the human body.
2. A quick pull on something.
3. (US, derogatory, slang) A person with unlikable or obnoxious qualities and behavior, typically mean, self-centered, or disagreeable.
4. (US, derogatory, slang) A stupid person; an idiot or fool.
5. A lift in which the weight is taken with a quick motion from shoulder height to a position above the head with arms fully extended and held there for a brief time.
6. (slang) Masturbation.
7. (Internet, slang) Masturbation.
8. A dance, popular in Western culture in the 1960s, in which the head and upper body is thrown forwards regularly to the beat of the music.
9. The rate of change in acceleration with respect to time.
10. (US, obsolete) A soda jerk.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To make a sudden uncontrolled movement.
2. (transitive) To give a quick, often unpleasant tug or shake.
3. (US, slang, vulgar) To masturbate.
4. (Internet, US, slang, vulgar) To masturbate.
5. (obsolete) To beat, to hit.
6. (obsolete) To throw with a quick and suddenly arrested motion of the hand.
7. (transitive, usually) To lift using a jerk.
8. (obsolete) To flout with contempt.

Verb

To cure (meat) by cutting it into strips and drying it, originally in the sun.

Synonyms

twitch

jolt

tug

yank

pull

idiot

asshole

bump

shake

🫨

fool

hitch

pull on

jar

🫙

start

swing

toss

startle

saccade

push

dork

shock

⚡

flick

buck

shrug

🤷

jerky

rattle

moron

bounce

roll

drag

jerked meat

twit

shove

thrust

stupid

sway

ass

🍑

flinch

bozo

slob

startled

rock

🪨

bastard

jump

oscillate

jounce

shit

💩

jig

dolt

jerking

Translations

Ruck

tirón

sacudir

zucken

sacudida

schokken

strattone

saccade

secousse

tic

gilipollas

Zuckung

sursaut

αναπηδώ

Trottel

Pronounced as (IPA)

/d͡ʒɜːk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: yerk

Inherited from Old English: ġearcian

Cognate with Scots: yerk

In summary

Probably from Middle English yerk (“sudden motion”) and Middle English yerkid (“tightly pulled”), from Old English ġearc (“ready, active, quick”) and Old English ġearcian (“to prepare, make ready, procure, furnish, supply”). Cognate with Scots yerk (“to jerk”). Related also to English yare (“ready”).

Sentences

He heard a muffled grating sound and saw the black mark jerk forward an inch or so .

Look , the seam is now broken , it couldn't stand the jerk .