/ dʒɜːk; NAmE dʒɜːrk/ verb , noun
■ verb
[usually + adv. / prep. ] to move or to make sth move with a sudden short sharp movement :
[ vn ]
He jerked the phone away from her.
She jerked her head up.
[ v ]
The bus jerked to a halt.
He grabbed a handful of hair and jerked at it.
[also vn - adj ]
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- jerk sb around
- jerk off
- jerk out | jerk sth out
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a sudden quick sharp movement
SYN jolt :
She sat up with a jerk .
2.
[ C ] ( informal ) a stupid person who often says or does the wrong thing
3.
[ U ] meat that is marinated (= left in a mixture of oil and spices before being cooked) to give it a strong flavour and then cooked over a wood fire :
jerk chicken
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (denoting a stroke with a whip): probably imitative.