Link Centre Dictionary

jerk

UK/ˈd͡ʒɜːk/ US/ˈd͡ʒɝk/ common slang us
verb (5) noun (4)

verb

1.

pull, or move with a sudden movement

  • “He turned the handle and jerked the door open”
Synonyms
2.

move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions

  • “The patient”
Synonyms
3.

make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion

  • “his face is twitching”
Synonyms
4.

jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched

  • “the yung filly bucked”
Synonyms
5.

throw or toss with a quick motion

  • “flick a piece of paper across the table”
  • “jerk his head”
Synonyms

noun

1.
2.
3.
4.

a sudden abrupt pull

Synonyms

Origin

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”).

Phrases

  • :Category:English shitgibbons
  • Achilles jerk
  • circle jerk
  • clean and jerk
  • forearm jerk
  • hypnagogic jerk
  • hypnic jerk
  • jerk around
  • jerk it
  • jerk off
  • jerk one off
  • jerk one out

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Related verbs

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.