Jerky definition

jûrkē
jerkier jerkiest
See word origin
Frequency:
Characterized or moving by jerks; making sudden starts and stops or spasmodic movements.
adjective
3
1
Meat, esp. beef, that has been sliced into strips and dried.
noun
1
1
Characterized by physical jerking.
adjective
0
0
Lean meat cured and preserved by cutting into thin strips and air-drying in the sun.
noun
0
0
(slang) Foolish; silly.

Jerky ideas about saving money.

adjective
1
2
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Characterized by jerks or jerking.

A jerky train ride.

adjective
0
2
Meat cured by jerking.
noun
0
2
(slang) Foolish, mean, contemptible, etc.
adjective
0
2

Other Word Forms

Noun

Singular:
jerky
Plural:
jerkies

Adjective

Base Form:
jerky
Comparative:
jerkier
Superlative:
jerkiest

Origin of jerky

  • Alteration of charqui

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From a Quechuan language charqui (“sun-dried or air-dried strips of meat”).

    From Wiktionary

Jerky Sentence Examples

  • With jerky movements, she finished dressing and replaced her weapons.

  • The regimental commander walked with his jerky steps to the front of the regiment and examined it from a distance.

  • The block moves but the movement was a little jerky.

  • And the commander, turning to look at the adjutant, directed his jerky steps down the line.

  • Angelman's syndrome was first described in 1965 by Harold Angelman, who noted that a group of children in his medical practice had flat heads, made jerky movements, held their tongues in a protruding way, and had curious bouts of laughter.

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Words near jerky in the Dictionary