jerk
Noun · VerbOpen English WordNet
Verb (5)jerks, jerked, jerking
- pull, or move with a sudden movement“He turned the handle and jerked the door open”Synonyms: yankMore general pull, draw
- move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions“The patient's legs were jerking”Synonyms: twitchMore general moveSimilar twitch
- make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion“his face is twitching”Synonyms: twitchMore general move involuntarily, move reflexivelyMore specific fibrillateSimilar twitch
- jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched“the young filly bucked”Synonyms: buckhitchMore general move
- throw or toss with a quick motion“flick a piece of paper across the table”“jerk his head”Synonyms: flickMore general push, force
Noun (6)jerks
- a dull stupid fatuous personSynonyms: dorkType of misfitKinds schmuck, shmuck
- an abrupt spasmodic movementSynonyms: jerkingjoltsaccadeType of motion, movement
- (mechanics) the rate of change of accelerationType of rate
- meat (especially beef) cut in strips and dried in the sunSynonyms: jerkyjerked meatType of meatKinds biltong, beef jerky
- raising a weight from shoulder height to above the head by straightening the armsType of weightlift, weightliftingPart of clean and jerk, clean
- a sudden abrupt pullSynonyms: tugType of pull, pulling
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Noun sudden, uncontrolled movement
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: Corrupted from Peruv. charqui dried beef.
To cut into long slices or strips and dry in the sun; as, to jerk beef. See Charqui.
Origin: Akin to yerk, and perh. also to yard a measure.
1. To beat; to strike. obsolete John Florio
2. To give a quick and suddenly arrested thrust, push, pull, or twist, to; to yerk; as, to jerk one with the elbow; to jerk a coat off.
3. To throw with a quick and suddenly arrested motion of the hand; as, to jerk a stone.
1. To make a sudden motion; to move with a start, or by starts. John Milton
2. To flout with contempt.
1. A short, sudden pull, thrust, push, twitch, jolt, shake, or similar motion.
His jade gave him a jerk.— Ben Jonson
2. A sudden start or spring.
Lobsters... swim backwards by jerks or springs.— Nehemiah Grew
3. A foolish, stupid, or otherwise contemptible person. slang Syn. — jerkoff.
4. Sport The lifting of a weight, in a single rapid motion, from shoulder height until the arms are outstretched above the head; distinguished from press in that the motion in a jerk is more rapid, and the body may be moved under the weight to assist completion of the movement; as, a clean and jerk of two hundred pounds.
2. Calisthenic exercises, such as push-ups or deep knee bends; also called physical jerks. British
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54 · with additions: GCIDE editors