jerk1 verbjerk2 nounjerk3 adjective
jerkjerk1 /dʒɜːk $ dʒɜːrk/ ●○○ verb 
WORD ORIGINjerk1
Origin:
1500-1600 Probably from yerk ‘to hit, pull suddenly’ (16-19 centuries)VERB TABLE
jerk
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | jerk |
| he, she, it | jerks | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | jerked |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have jerked |
| he, she, it | has jerked | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had jerked |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will jerk |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have jerked |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am jerking |
| he, she, it | is jerking | |
| you, we, they | are jerking | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was jerking |
| you, we, they | were jerking | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been jerking |
| he, she, it | has been jerking | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been jerking |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be jerking |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been jerking |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Graham had to jerk the steering wheel to the left to avoid a crash.
- He jerked the string and the light came on.
- Isabel jerked her hand away from his and shoved it in her pocket.
- Mark jerked the phone away from the girl.
- Sue jerked her thumb toward the garage.
- A limousine carrying Harris and several other black passengers jerked to a stop.
- Bonaventure, but none of them reported any of the jerking movement, incontinence or tongue-biting that usually accompanies seizures.
- He jerked upright when the phone rang.
- His whole body had jerked, he had nearly hit buy rather than sell mid-deal.
- In the early hours of the morning, at about three, Stephen jerked awake from a nightmare.
- She mouthed the name at Ottershaw, and he jerked his head towards the kitchen.
- The doctor jerked a thumb to the right.
- The seat beneath me swayed and jerked according to the simplemindedness of that hunching locomotive fit for a child.
- They jerked wildly in toward the cliff, among the blocks of stone.
- Two men appeared in front of him, and he caught her wrist and jerked her to one side, raising his sword.
Longman Language Activatorto move something from one place or position to another
to take something to a different place or change the position of something: · Will you move your car, please? It's blocking the road.· It took three men to move the piano.move something to/into something: · We'll have to move the table into the hall.
to move something and put it in a different place or container: · Transfer the mixture to a heavy cooking pan and add all remaining ingredients.transfer something (from something) to something: · Could I transfer $500 from my savings to my checking account?
British informal to move something from where it is: · When are you going to shift all this rubbish? It's making the place look a real mess.· Come on Des, give me a hand to shift these and then we can go home.
to move something quickly through the air with a long circular movement: · She swung the ax, hitting the log squarely in the middle.swing something back/over/across etc: · As you swing the golf club back, try to keep your eye on the ball.
to move something with a short, very sudden movement: jerk something away/towards/up etc: · Mark jerked the phone away from the girl.· Graham had to jerk the steering wheel to the left to avoid a crash.
to pull something suddenly to pull something with a sudden quick movement: · He jerked the string and the light came on.jerk something away/back/down etc: · Isabel jerked her hand away from his and shoved it in her pocket.
to pull something or someone with one sudden, quick and forceful movement, especially out of somewhere or away from something: · The other girls surrounded her, calling her names and yanking her hair.· Buddy yanked the drawer open, and took out the gun.yank something away/out/back etc: · His friends grabbed him and yanked him to his feet.· The child's mother caught him just in time, and yanked him away from the kerb.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
Wilcox jerked his head to indicate that they should move on. ‘Is that the only way out of here?’ he asked, jerking a thumb at the door. The sound of the phone jerked me awake. She jerked open the car door and got out.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
Wilcox jerked his head to indicate that they should move on. ‘Is that the only way out of here?’ he asked, jerking a thumb at the door. The sound of the phone jerked me awake. She jerked open the car door and got out. (=an immediate reaction that happens without sensible thinking)· Environmentalists have a knee-jerk reaction against any development.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· She jerked around and the wire stretched a little, but that was all.· Sister Zoe jerked around, her full black skirt ballooning as she hurried to my side.
· That sudden movement, slight as it was, jerked away the stone which Chignell had placed behind one of the wheels.· When I tried to pick him up he squirmed wildly, jerked away and threw himself to the ground again.· He patted my head, brushing his fingers across my ear, and I jerked away.· He grabbed his daughter's long sleeve, but she jerked away, ripping the flower-embroidered linen, towards the other table.· He stretched out a hand to touch her face and she jerked away.· Recollecting herself suddenly, she jerked away sharply.
· It is jerked back into order by the chapters voiced by the caring Anacreonte.· She jerked back, surprised by the anger on his face, then reassured by the apology she saw there.· I jerked back up under the covers before he saw me looking.· Dyson half expected him to come jerking back for a reprise of the First Collect.· Christopher jerked back and kicked, and the bowl of water spilt into the chair, over his legs and over Alan.· The pupa's skull is jerked back, its jaw dislocated and its eyes suddenly black and empty.· I jerked back, tingling with fear, feeling it peel off like a strand of elastoplast.
· In no time at all it jerked forward, and there I was, on my way.· The horse stopped, so suddenly that I was jerked forward on his neck.· He Wrked the handle, brought the bolt rearward, then drove it forward jerking the handle down.· But her sudden command made him stand violently on the pedal and they were both jerked forward against their seat-belts.· Philippa's hand jerked forward anxiously and knocked over the bottle of varnish remover.· The left knee is then jerked forward while the right leg is extended in a clockwise arc.· His torso jerked forward convulsively, and he vomited into the mud and the rain.
· As she picked up the notebook she heard a sound close behind her and jerked round.· Marcus went white and jerked round sharply to look at the figure behind him.
· And every time I came to that bit I jerked up in my chair and Miss Ross shouted at me.· He grinned and his hands jerked up, tangling with the air as if he wanted to grab her.· She jerked up his arm, and spun round under it.· He ignored me, jerked up and down and wailed bitterly as he clung to her.· Less than a second later he was jerked up and around to meet a devastating punch straight to the jaw.· The full impact of it seemed to come from the roof, and was so strong that she jerked up in bed.· Even the swings troubled her, dark shapes jerking up at the limit of her vision.· His head jerked up in her direction then went back to studying the ground.
NOUN· If his body jerked when he was struck again, and fatally, it was no more than an instant's convulsion.· His whole body had jerked, he had nearly hit buy rather than sell mid-deal.· Tom Dawson's body arched and jerked.· Slowly Tommy placed his arm on the floor, his whole body jerking with fear.· Their bodies jerked up and down, twisting and jumping.· Then the drop and the slim, lithe body jerking violently at the end of the rope.
· It jerked his foot banged his knee and was yanked back open.
· As he choked, Gazzer's right hand jerked spasmodically behind him, clutching at Simon's jacket.· He grinned and his hands jerked up, tangling with the air as if he wanted to grab her.· It was in her hand when the soldier jerked her roughly around and pulled her against him.· His hand jerked across the desk, but Litchfield pushed it back.· Terrified that he would guess her wanton reaction to the heart-stopping touch of his hand, Isabel jerked her head away.· Philippa's hand jerked forward anxiously and knocked over the bottle of varnish remover.· Harry grabbed her hand and jerked her back into his arms.· She put both hands before her and jerked wide awake with a scream.
· Thérèse's head jerked round: how?· Garty's head jerked violently sideways; he lurched, stumbled, almost fell, then seemed to find his balance again.· His head jerked up in her direction then went back to studying the ground.· Flesh-skimped fingers entwined themselves in his hair and Creed cried out as his head was jerked back.· The soldier woke up with a snort; his head jerked up and he looked at us inquiringly.· Wexford took hold of his jacket roughly, pushing him so that his head jerked up.
· Again people are asking why, while politicians' knees are jerking frantically.· The left knee is then jerked forward while the right leg is extended in a clockwise arc.· His knee jerked up and down to the clacking of the metronome on the piano lid.
· He waved and grinned at her and jerked a thumb upwards.· The doctor jerked a thumb to the right.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[intransitive, transitive] to move with a quick sudden movement, or to make part of your body move in this way: - A limousine carrying Harris and several other black passengers jerked to a stop.
- An unshaven old man in a stained jacket comes to a stop beside us.
- And moments later he comes to a stop.
- As it came to a stop, it widened the frenzied cluster of moths surrounding the yellow platform light over his head.
- He had given no sign of injury until we came to a stop.
- It swerved wildly towards the wall, bounced over the pavement and came to a stop four feet from the concrete wall.
- Once it has been consumed, the Darwinian machine comes to a stop.
- When it jerked to a stop they were led out into a narrow carpeted passage.
Wilcox jerked his head to indicate that they should move on. ‘Is that the only way out of here?’ he asked, jerking a thumb at the door.jerk back/up/forwards etc Suddenly, he jerked back in his chair. The sound of the phone jerked me awake.2[intransitive, transitive] to pull something suddenly and roughlyjerk at Doyle jerked at the girl’s hair to make her sit down. She jerked open the car door and got out.jerk somebody around phrasal verb American English informal to waste someone’s time or deliberately make things difficult for themjerk off phrasal verb especially American English informal not polite to masturbatejerk out something phrasal verb written to say something quickly and nervously: ‘Don’t lie,’ she jerked out.jerk1 verbjerk2 nounjerk3 adjective
jerkjerk2 noun [countable] WORD ORIGINjerk2
Origin:
1 1500-1600 ➔ JERK12 1900-2000 Probably from jerk offEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- He's an unprofessional jerk who's always pestering the women in the office.
- Her husband was being a real jerk about the divorce.
- I liked the job, but the manager was a jerk.
- Ignore him. He's just a jerk.
- Ow! You jerk, that hurt!
- She pulled the dog back with a sharp jerk of his leash.
- She seems to always end up in a relationship with some total jerk.
- Some jerk just drove right into the back of my car.
- The train moved off with a jerk.
- Why do you put up with a jerk like that?
- His eyes blinked violently in a spasm that screwed up his face in rapid jerks.
- The man indicated the one in the far corner with a jerk of his head.
Longman Language Activatorsomeone who behaves rudely
British a young man who is rude, noisy, and sometimes violent: · A dozen yobs stood outside the pub.· Residents complained that yobs had been vandalizing their gardens.yob culture (=TV programmes, films, and other forms of entertainment that involve rudeness and unintelligent behaviour): · Our TV screens have been taken over by so-called yob culture.
especially American an annoying person who behaves in a stupid way, for example by behaving in a rude and unpleasant way: · Ignore him. He's just a jerk.· He's an unprofessional jerk who's always pestering the women in the office.real/total jerk: · Her husband was being a real jerk about the divorce.
a man or boy who behaves in a rude and violent way: · A few foul-mouthed louts in the crowd were shouting racist abuse.· Only a lout would treat a woman that way.lager louts British (=young men who drink too much beer and behave in rude or violent way): · We stood at the bar being jostled by some thick-necked lager louts.
a stupid person someone who does something very stupid or embarrassing: · You lost the tickets? How could you be such an idiot?· Anyone who tells you any different is either a fool or a liar.· Some idiot in a fast car is trying to overtake.· If you believe that, you're a bigger fool than I thought.· She was an idiot to drink so much on an empty stomach.make a fool of yourself (=do something that makes you seem very stupid): · It's increasingly common for the losers to go out kicking and screaming, and generally making fools of themselves.
British informal someone who behaves in a stupid and annoying way: · Look at those wallies jumping around and pulling faces behind the TV reporter.· You look like a right wally in that hat.
especially American someone who is a little stupid and annoying, and who does not care if they upset or hurt other people: · Some jerk just drove right into the back of my car.· I liked the job, but the manager was a jerk.· Ow! You jerk, that hurt!total/real jerk: · She seems to always end up in a relationship with some total jerk.
American informal someone who is stupid and embarrassing: · He's such a goof. I don't know what she sees in him.· He always acts like a real goof after a couple of glasses of wine.· Oh Mike's okay, he's just a bit of a goof ball.
American informal someone who is stupid and does not think about what they say or do: · I'm sorry I was such a dope last night.· Oh you dope, you bought the wrong one.
especially American, informal someone who you think is stupid and strange because they behave strangely or wear strange clothes: · I look like a real dork in this uniform.· Millions of listeners heard him call his production assistant a 'dork' live on air.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY He gave a sudden jerk of his head.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
He gave a sudden jerk of his head. (=an immediate reaction that happens without sensible thinking)· Environmentalists have a knee-jerk reaction against any development.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1a sudden quick movement: - A limousine carrying Harris and several other black passengers jerked to a stop.
- An unshaven old man in a stained jacket comes to a stop beside us.
- And moments later he comes to a stop.
- As it came to a stop, it widened the frenzied cluster of moths surrounding the yellow platform light over his head.
- He had given no sign of injury until we came to a stop.
- It swerved wildly towards the wall, bounced over the pavement and came to a stop four feet from the concrete wall.
- Once it has been consumed, the Darwinian machine comes to a stop.
- When it jerked to a stop they were led out into a narrow carpeted passage.
He gave a sudden jerk of his head.with a jerk She started the car with a jerk and hit the bumper of the car in front.2informal someone, especially a man, who is stupid or who does things that annoy or hurt other people SYN idiot: I swore at him for being such a jerk.jerk1 verbjerk2 nounjerk3 adjective
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