jerk´er

jerk¹ «jurk», noun, verb.

–n.

1. a sudden, sharp pull, twist, or start: »

His old car started with a jerk.

2. a pull or twist of the muscles that one cannot control; twitch: »

The nervous jumping of his knee is a jerk from an old accident.

3. Slang. a stupid or simple-minded person.

4. (in weight lifting) the jerking of the weight from the chest to above the head.

╂[< verb]

–v.t.

1. to pull or twist suddenly: »

If the water is unexpectedly hot, you jerk your hand out.

SYNONYM(S): See syn. under pull. (Cf. ↑pull)

2. to throw with a movement that stops suddenly.

3. to move (anything) with a jerk: »

He jerked his elbow in the direction of the…ard School (Arnold Bennett).

4. to speak or say abruptly.

5. Informal. to make (ice-cream sodas, sundaes, and the like) behind a soda fountain.

–v.i.

1. to move in a spasmodic manner; twitch.

2. to move with a jerk: »

The old wagon jerked along.

╂[earlier, to lash, strike with a whip; perhaps imitative]

–jerk´er, noun.

jerk² «jurk», verb, noun.

–v.t.

to preserve (meat) by cutting it into long, thin slices and drying it in the sun. The early settlers in America used to jerk beef.

–n.

1. jerked meat, especially beef.

2. spicy cooked meat, usually smoked; barbecue: »

jerk chicken; "The touchstone of a Jamaican restaurant is its jerk" (New York Times).

╂[American English < American Spanish charquear < charqui jerked meat < Quechua (Peru)]