jerk
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Possibly from Middle English yerk (“‘sudden motion’”)
Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
jerk (plural jerks)
- A sudden, often uncontrolled movement, especially of the body.
- A quick, often unpleasant tug or shake.
- When I yell "OK," give the mooring line a good jerk!
- (US, slang, pejorative) A person with unlikable or obnoxious qualities and behavior, typically mean, self-centered or disagreeable, and often not very intelligent.
- I finally fired him, because he was being a real jerk to his customers, even to some of the staff.
- You really are a jerk sometimes.
- (physics, engineering) The rate of change in acceleration with respect to time.
Usage notes
- Jerk is measured in metres per second cubed (m/s3) in SI units , or in feet per second cubed (ft/s3) in imperial units.
Synonyms
- (sudden movement): jolt, lurch, jump
- (quick tug): yank
- (unlikable person): asshole, bastard.
- (physics, change in acceleration): jolt (British), surge, lurch
See also
Translations
A quick, often unpleasant tug or shake
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A sudden, uncontrolled movement, for instance, of the body
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the change in acceleration with respect to time
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A person, usually male, who is unwelcome due to unlikable qualities and behavior
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
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Verb
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Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Simple past |
Past participle |
Present participle |
to jerk (third-person singular simple present jerks, present participle jerking, simple past and past participle jerked)
- (intransitive) To make a sudden uncontrolled movement.
- (transitive) To give a quick, often unpleasant tug or shake.
- (British, slang, vulgar) To masturbate.
- (obsolete) To beat, to hit.
- (obsolete) To throw.
Translations
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
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Derived terms
Etymology 2
From American Spanish charquear, from charqui, from Quechuan echarqui (“‘strips of dried flesh’”).
Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
jerk (uncountable)
- (Caribbean) A rich, spicy Jamaican marinade
- (Caribbean) Meat cured by jerking; charqui.
- Jerk chicken is a local favorite.
Translations
A rich, spicy Jamaican marinade; a dish made with such a marinade
Related terms
Verb
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Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Simple past |
Past participle |
Present participle |
to jerk (third-person singular simple present jerks, present participle jerking, simple past and past participle jerked)
- To cure (meat) by cutting it into strips and drying it, originally in the sun.
Translations
To marinade in jerk seasoning
