*jerk*

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Jerked p. pr. & vb. n. Jerking. ] [ Akin to yerk, and perh. also to yard a measure. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To beat; to strike. [ Obs. ] Florio. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To give a quick and suddenly arrested thrust, push, pull, or twist, to; to yerk; as, to jerk one with the elbow; to jerk a coat off. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To throw with a quick and suddenly arrested motion of the hand; as, to jerk a stone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To make a sudden motion; to move with a start, or by starts. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To flout with contempt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A short, sudden pull, thrust, push, twitch, jolt, shake, or similar motion. [ 1913 Webster ]

His jade gave him a jerk. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A sudden start or spring. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lobsters . . . swim backwards by jerks or springs. Grew. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A foolish, stupid, or otherwise contemptible person. [ Slang ]
Syn. -- jerkoff. [ PJC ]

4. (Sport) The lifting of a weight, in a single rapid motion, from shoulder height until the arms are outstretched above the head; distinguished from press in that the motion in a jerk is more rapid, and the body may be moved under the weight to assist completion of the movement; as, a clean and jerk of two hundred pounds. [ PJC ]

2. Calisthenic exercises, such as push-ups or deep knee bends; also called physical jerks. [ British ] [ PJC ]

n. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A beater. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who jerks or moves with a jerk. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) A North American river chub (Hybopsis biguttatus). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Dim. of D. jurk a frock. ] A jacket or short coat; a close waistcoat. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A male gyrfalcon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of pulling, pushing, or throwing, with a jerk. -- Jerk"ing*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. (Arch.) The hipped part of a roof which is hipped only for a part of its height, leaving a truncated gable. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. A lazy, foolish, stupid, or otherwise contemptible person; -- an offensive and disparaging term. [ vulgar slang ]
Syn. -- jerk. [ PJC ]

v. i. To masturbate. [ vulgar slang ]
Syn. -- whack off. [ PJC ]

adj. [ from jerk + water, a place where it is necessary to draw (jerk) water to supply the boiler of a steam engine. ] 1. small and remote and insignificant; as, a jerkwater college.
Syn. -- one-horse, pokey, poky. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. (Railroads) Off the main railroad line. [ Archaic ] [ PJC ]

n. [ Corrupted from Peruv. charqui dried beef. ] Meat, especially beef, that has been cut in strips and dried; meat that has been jerked; see first jerk, v.; as, beef jerky [ PJC ]

a. 1. Moving by jerks and starts; characterized by abrupt transitions; as, a jerky vehicle; a jerky style. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Foolish; ridiculous; stupid. [ slang ] [ PJC ]

. (Physiol.) A jerk or forward kick of the lower part of the leg produced by a blow or sudden strain upon the patellar tendon of the knee, which causes a sudden contraction of the quadriceps muscle; the patellar reflex. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. emotional and predictable; -- of certain people and their reactions to events. [ PJC ]

. a person of strong liberal convictions who reacts predictably and emotionally to certain events. [ PJC ]

. an immediate unthinking emotional reaction produced by an event or statement to which the reacting person is highly sensitive; -- in persons with strong feelings on a topic, it may be very predictable. [ PJC ]