Library / English Dictionary

JERK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A sudden abrupt pull

Synonyms:

jerk; tug

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("jerk" is a kind of...):

pull; pulling (the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you)

Derivation:

jerk (pull, or move with a sudden movement)

jerk (move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An abrupt spasmodic movement

Synonyms:

jerk; jerking; jolt; saccade

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("jerk" is a kind of...):

motility; motion; move; movement (a change of position that does not entail a change of location)

Derivation:

jerk (make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion)

jerk (throw or toss with a quick motion)

jerk (pull, or move with a sudden movement)

jerk (jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched)

jerk (move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions)

jerky (lacking a steady rhythm)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Raising a weight from shoulder height to above the head by straightening the arms

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("jerk" is a kind of...):

weightlift; weightlifting (bodybuilding by exercise that involves lifting weights)

Holonyms ("jerk" is a part of...):

clean; clean and jerk (a weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then jerked overhead)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Meat (especially beef) cut in strips and dried in the sun

Synonyms:

jerk; jerked meat; jerky

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("jerk" is a kind of...):

meat (the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "jerk"):

beef jerky (strips of dried beef)

biltong (meat that is salted and cut into strips and dried in the sun)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A dull stupid fatuous person

Synonyms:

dork; jerk

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("jerk" is a kind of...):

misfit (someone unable to adapt to their circumstances)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "jerk"):

schmo; schmuck; shmo; shmuck ((Yiddish) a jerk)

Derivation:

jerky (having or revealing stupidity)

Sense 6

Meaning:

(mechanics) the rate of change of acceleration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Hypernyms ("jerk" is a kind of...):

rate (a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit)

Domain category:

mechanics (the branch of physics concerned with the motion of bodies in a frame of reference)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion

Example:

his face is twitching

Synonyms:

jerk; twitch

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "jerk" is one way to...):

move involuntarily; move reflexively (move in an uncontrolled manner)

Verb group:

jerk; twitch (move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "jerk"):

fibrillate (make fine, irregular, rapid twitching movements)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody's (body part) ----s

Derivation:

jerking; jerk (an abrupt spasmodic movement)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Throw or toss with a quick motion

Example:

jerk his head

Synonyms:

flick; jerk

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "jerk" is one way to...):

force; push (move with force)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

jerk (an abrupt spasmodic movement)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Pull, or move with a sudden movement

Example:

He turned the handle and jerked the door open

Synonyms:

jerk; yank

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "jerk" is one way to...):

draw; pull (cause to move by pulling)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

jerk (a sudden abrupt pull)

jerk (an abrupt spasmodic movement)

jerker (someone who gives a strong sudden pull)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched

Example:

the yung filly bucked

Synonyms:

buck; hitch; jerk

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "jerk" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Derivation:

jerk (an abrupt spasmodic movement)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions

Example:

The patient's legs were jerkings

Synonyms:

jerk; twitch

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "jerk" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Verb group:

jerk; twitch (make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

jerk (a sudden abrupt pull)

jerk; jerking (an abrupt spasmodic movement)

Credits

 Context examples: 

He raised his head with a sudden jerk.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A combination of opsoclonus (involuntary conjugate eye movements of large amplitude) and myoclonic jerks.

(Opsoclonus Myoclonus Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

The alarm-clock went off, jerking Martin out of sleep with a suddenness that would have given headache to one with less splendid constitution.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Involuntary movements of the eye that are divided into two types, jerk and pendular.

(Nystagmus, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Refrain from having a knee-jerk reaction and adding to the chaos.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

When I approached, it vanished with a jerk.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) Somatic (muscular); pains and aches, twitching, stiffness, myoclonic jerks, grinding of teeth, unsteady voice, increased muscular tone.

(HAMA - Somatic (Muscular), NCI Thesaurus)

An epilepsy characterized by myoclonic jerks, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and sometimes absence seizures.

(Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy, NCI Thesaurus)

Some of the most common are: • Headaches, usually worse in the morning • Nausea and vomiting • Changes in your ability to talk, hear, or see • Problems with balance or walking • Problems with thinking or memory • Muscle jerking or twitching • Numbness or tingling in arms or legs

(Brain Cancer, NIH: National Cancer Institute)

He had scarce done so before Sir Nigel rode out from the holders' enclosure, and galloping at full speed down the lists, drew his charger up before the prince's stand with a jerk which threw it back upon its haunches.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)