jerk

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a sudden sharp movement, or a contemptible person

   The train started with a violent jerk.

Common collocations

• spasmodic jerk Adjective + noun

Of uncertain origin, recorded from the mid-16th century, probably imitative of a sudden sharp movement; the sense 'contemptible person' is American slang from the early 20th century.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images