1. Pull, or move with a sudden movement
   "He turned the handle and jerked the door open";
   - yank [informal], hoick [informal]
    
2. Move with abrupt, seemingly uncontrolled motions
   "The patient's legs were jerking";
   - twitch
    
3. Make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion
   "His arm jerked involuntarily";
   - twitch
    
4. Jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched
   "The horse jerked as the rider mounted";
   - buck, hitch
    
5. Throw or toss with a quick motion
   "jerk his head";
   - flick

1. An abrupt spasmodic movement
   "The train came to a stop with a sudden jerk";
   - jolt, saccade [rare]
    
2. A sudden abrupt pull
   "With a quick jerk, he freed the rope from the knot";
   - tug
    
3. (mechanics) the rate of change of acceleration
   "The jerk of the elevator starting caused some discomfort"
    
4. [informal] A dull stupid fatuous person
   "He acted like a total jerk at the party";
   - dork [informal]
    
5. Meat (especially beef) cut in strips and dried in the sun
   "They packed jerk for the long journey";
   - jerky, jerked meat
    
6. Raising a weight from shoulder height to above the head by straightening the arms
   "The weightlifter performed a perfect jerk, cleanly lifting the barbell overhead"

Derived forms: jerked, jerking, jerks

Type of: draw, force, meat, misfit, motility, motion, move, move involuntarily, move reflexively, movement, pull, push, rate, weightlift, weightlifting

Part of: clean, clean and jerk

Encyclopedia: Jerk