jerky
/ˈdʒɜː.ki/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdʒɝː.ki/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈjər-kē/ (ame, mw) · /ˈdʒɜːki/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdʒɜːrki/ (ame, ipa)
jerky — 名詞
1. thin strips of meat that have been salted and slowly dried so they keep for a lo
肉乾
切成長條風乾、可久放的鹹味肉品
thin strips of meat that have been salted and slowly dried so they keep for a long time without going bad
Nadia packed a bag of beef jerky for the long hike up the mountain.
Nadia 為了長途登山，特別打包了一袋牛肉乾。
noun-modifier pattern: beef / turkey + jerky
The corner shop in Tucson sells homemade venison jerky in small paper bags.
Tucson 街角那家小店賣的鹿肉乾，是用小紙袋裝的自製品。
noun-modifier pattern naming the meat source
Jiwoo chewed a strip of spicy jerky while waiting for the train to arrive.
Jiwoo 一邊嚼著一條辣味肉乾，一邊等火車進站。
Cowboys on long cattle drives lived on coffee, beans, and salty jerky for weeks.
牛仔在長途趕牛時，連續幾週都只靠咖啡、豆子和鹹肉乾過日子。
- dried meat
general term; jerky is the specific salted, strip-cut form
- biltong
South African air-dried beef; usually thicker slices and seasoned differently
文法句型
a piece of jerky
beef / turkey / venison jerky
用法筆記
Mass noun in everyday use — measure with 'a piece of', 'a strip of', or 'a bag of'. Almost always preceded by the meat type (beef, turkey, venison) when the source matters.
常見錯誤
jerky — 形容詞
- jerkypositive
- jerkiercomparative
- jerkiestsuperlative
1. moving in short, quick bursts with sudden stops between them, instead of flowing
顛簸的
動作短促急停、不連貫的
moving in short, quick bursts with sudden stops between them, instead of flowing in one smooth line
The old bus made a jerky stop at every traffic light along the coast road.
那輛老舊巴士沿著海岸公路，每遇紅燈就來個顛簸急停。
attributive use: jerky + noun (stop, motion)
Imani's dance steps looked jerky during the first rehearsal but smoothed out by the show.
Imani 的舞步在第一次彩排時看起來相當抽動，但到了正式演出就順了。
predicative use: noun + be + jerky
The camera footage was so jerky that the audience felt slightly sick watching the chase scene.
那段攝影機畫面晃得太厲害，觀眾看著追車戲都有點想吐。
Sana wrote a shopping list with jerky little strokes because her hand was cold.
Sana 因為手太冷，寫購物清單時筆畫一頓一頓的。
文法句型
jerky + noun (movements / motion / steps)
be + jerky
用法筆記
Most often describes physical motion (steps, gestures, vehicles, video). Distinguish from sense 2 ('not smooth and pleasant'), which more often describes processes or experiences such as transitions, edits, or rhythms.
常見錯誤
2. having rough, awkward changes from one part to the next, so the whole thing feel
不流暢的
段落銜接生硬、整體節奏不順的
having rough, awkward changes from one part to the next, so the whole thing feels uneven and uncomfortable to watch, hear, or experience
The new editor's jerky transitions between scenes annoyed the film festival audience.
新剪輯師那些不流暢的場景轉換，讓影展觀眾很不耐煩。
attributive: jerky + transitions / cuts
Mira's first piano recital had a jerky rhythm because she kept losing her place in the score.
Mira 第一次鋼琴獨奏的節奏不流暢，因為她一直在譜上迷路。
attributive: jerky + rhythm / tempo
The conversation felt jerky, with long silences followed by everyone speaking at once.
整段對話感覺很卡，常常先冷場好久，然後大家又同時開口。
Noor described the train ride as jerky and unpleasant because the brakes worked badly.
Noor 說那趟火車旅程又顛又不順，因為煞車有問題。
- uneven
broader; covers anything irregular, not only awkwardly so
- choppy
very close synonym, especially for writing, speech, and editing
- disjointed
emphasises lack of connection between parts
文法句型
jerky + noun (transitions / rhythm / edits)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 names the visible burst-and-stop motion itself, while sense 2 names the unpleasant overall feel of an experience whose parts do not connect smoothly. A video edit can be jerky in sense 1 (frames stutter) or sense 2 (cuts feel abrupt).
常見錯誤
3. behaving in a silly or unkind way that shows poor judgement, in the same sense a
白目的
言行愚蠢或不厚道，像個 jerk
behaving in a silly or unkind way that shows poor judgement, in the same sense as calling someone a jerk
Christopher made a jerky comment about Devika's accent and instantly regretted opening his mouth.
Christopher 對 Devika 的口音講了一句白目話，話一出口就馬上後悔。
attributive: a jerky + speech-act noun (comment / remark)
Cancelling the surprise party at the last minute was a jerky move on his part.
他臨時取消那場驚喜派對，實在是個很混蛋的舉動。
attributive: a jerky + behaviour noun (move / thing / trick)
Beatrix called the prank video jerky and refused to share it with her followers.
Beatrix 覺得那支惡作劇影片很白目，拒絕分享給粉絲。
Ryan apologised for the jerky way he had spoken to the new intern that morning.
Ryan 為了那天早上對新實習生講話的混蛋態度，向對方道了歉。
文法句型
a jerky + noun (idea / comment / move)
用法筆記
Informal American English, derived from the noun 'jerk' (an unpleasant person). Distinguish from senses 1 and 2: this sense describes behaviour or remarks, not physical motion or pacing. Use sparingly in writing — neutral words like 'rude' or 'thoughtless' are safer in formal contexts.