jerk

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a sudden sharp movement, or a contemptible person

   The train started with a violent jerk.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Jerk was first recorded in the mid-16th century for a stroke with a whip and is probably imitative of the abrupt action. The American slang sense “fool” or “stupid person” dates from the 1930s.

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.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
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