jerk
jerk — noun
- jerksingular
- jerksplural
1. a quick, sharp, and often uncontrolled movement, such as a pull, twist, or jolt,
a quick, sharp, and often uncontrolled movement, such as a pull, twist, or jolt, that takes place without warning.
The bus came to a sudden halt, throwing everyone forward with a jerk.
with a jerk = sudden involuntary movement
Naoko gave the rope a hard jerk to free it from the rock.
A sharp jerk on the fishing line told Kemi she had hooked a large fish.
The old train started with a jerk that made everyone grab the handrails.
Walid felt a sudden jerk as a thief pulled his backpack from behind.
文法句型
usually singular: a jerk
常見錯誤
2. an insulting word for someone, typically a man, whose behaviour is rude, unpleas
an insulting word for someone, typically a man, whose behaviour is rude, unpleasant, or foolish.
Léa told her brother to stop being a jerk and help with the dishes.
Some jerk parked his car across two spaces and blocked the entrance.
some jerk = an unspecified annoying person
Mauricio could not believe his boss called him a jerk over a small mistake.
A jerk cut in front of everyone waiting in line at the cinema.
- gentleman
a polite and well-behaved man
文法句型
a jerk
用法筆記
Strongly insulting. Used mainly in informal speech among younger speakers. Avoid in formal or polite situations.
常見錯誤
3. a movement in weightlifting in which the weight is pushed up from the shoulders
a movement in weightlifting in which the weight is pushed up from the shoulders into a position with the arms straight above the head, usually in one fast motion.
Amihan lifted the barbell from her shoulders to a full overhead position in the jerk.
the jerk = the overhead pushing phase of a weightlifting movement
The clean and jerk is one of two main lifts in Olympic weightlifting competitions.
Christopher held the barbell steady on his chest before driving into the jerk.
In training, Tara focused on improving her jerk technique to lift heavier weights.
文法句型
the jerk
a jerk
用法筆記
The jerk is the second part of the 'clean and jerk' — a competition lift. The first part (the clean) brings the bar to the shoulders.
常見錯誤
4. a Caribbean style of cooking in which meat or vegetables are covered with a spic
a Caribbean style of cooking in which meat or vegetables are covered with a spicy mixture of herbs and seasonings and then cooked over a fire, giving a smoky flavour.
Mauricio ordered the jerk chicken with rice and beans at the Caribbean restaurant.
jerk chicken = chicken cooked in the Jamaican jerk style
The smoky smell of jerk seasoning filled the whole street during the festival.
Ada learned how to make authentic jerk pork from a Jamaican chef on holiday.
Joaquín tried jerk tofu at a food market and loved the spicy flavours.
文法句型
jerk + noun (e.g. jerk chicken, jerk pork)
用法筆記
Used as an adjective before a noun: jerk chicken, jerk pork, jerk shrimp. The spice mix is called jerk seasoning or jerk spice.
常見錯誤
5. meat, usually beef, that has been cut into long thin strips and dried so it can
meat, usually beef, that has been cut into long thin strips and dried so it can be eaten later without going bad for a long time; also called jerky.
Ilan packed some beef jerk for the long hiking trip in the mountains.
beef jerk = dried strips of beef
Rin grabbed some beef jerk from the shop to eat on the long bus ride.
The store sells bags of beef jerk near the checkout counter for hungry customers.
Caio shared strips of beef jerk with his friends while hiking through the forest.
- jerky
the more common form of the same word for dried meat
用法筆記
This sense is more commonly known as 'jerky' (e.g. beef jerky). 'Jerk' as a noun for dried meat is less frequent but used especially in American English.
常見錯誤
jerk — verb
- jerkpresent simple I / you / we / they
- jerkshe / she / it
- jerkedpast simple
- jerking-ing form
1. to move with a quick, sharp, and often uncontrolled motion, or to pull or push s
to move with a quick, sharp, and often uncontrolled motion, or to pull or push something suddenly in this way.
The train jerked forward and Kemi nearly dropped her coffee on the floor.
jerked forward = sudden forward movement
Christopher jerked his hand away from the hot stove just in time.
Walid jerked the fishing rod when he felt a strong pull on the line.
The car jerked to a stop just in time to avoid hitting the stray dog.
Ada jerked open the drawer and grabbed her keys before running out.
- glide
to move smoothly without stopping or starting suddenly
文法句型
jerk + adverb (forward/back/away)
jerk + object + adverb
用法筆記
Common with direction adverbs: jerk forward, jerk back, jerk away. Also used with 'to a stop' for sudden braking. The transitive form stresses that someone causes the movement (jerked open, jerked away).
常見錯誤
2. in weightlifting, to push a weight from the shoulders into a position with strai
in weightlifting, to push a weight from the shoulders into a position with straight arms above the head in one fast movement.
Amihan jerked the barbell overhead with a powerful push from her legs.
jerked the barbell overhead = the weightlifting jerk movement
The coach showed the team how to jerk the weight cleanly without wobbling.
It took Minho months of practice to learn how to jerk the bar properly.
Rania watched the weightlifter jerk the bar above her head in one smooth motion.
文法句型
jerk + weight/bar
用法筆記
This verb refers specifically to the second phase of the clean and jerk. The object is typically 'the barbell', 'the bar', or 'the weight'.
常見錯誤
3. to suddenly stop being distracted, inactive, or confused and become alert, activ
to suddenly stop being distracted, inactive, or confused and become alert, active, or attentive — or to make someone do this.
Nkechi's mind jerked back to attention when the teacher called her name.
mind jerked back to attention = sudden return to focus
Ilan jerked awake when his alarm clock rang at five in the morning.
The audience jerked to life when the comedian told a hilarious joke.
Maeve jerked herself out of her daydream and got back to work quickly.
- drift off
to gradually lose focus or fall asleep
文法句型
jerk + awake/alert
jerk + to + action noun
jerk + self + out of
用法筆記
Often paired with 'awake', 'alert', 'to attention', 'to life', or 'out of'. This sense is different from sense 1 because it describes mental or emotional change, not physical motion.
常見錯誤
4. to coat and cook food such as chicken, fish, or pork with a spicy blend of seaso
to coat and cook food such as chicken, fish, or pork with a spicy blend of seasonings in the traditional Jamaican style, usually on an open fire.
Lucas jerked the chicken with a homemade spice rub before grilling it.
jerked the chicken = marinated and cooked in jerk style
Mauricio learned how to jerk fish from his grandmother who lived in Jamaica.
Aylin jerked the pork shoulder overnight to let the spices soak in.
Eitan jerked a batch of chicken wings for the neighbourhood barbecue party.
文法句型
jerk + food item
用法筆記
The past participle 'jerked' is also used as an adjective describing the prepared food (jerked chicken, jerked pork). Frequently, the noun form (jerk chicken) is more common than the verb form.