jersey

noun

jer·​sey ˈjər-zē 

plural jerseys

1

a

: any of various close-fitting usually circular-knitted garments especially for the upper body

b

: an often loose-fitting shirt that is worn by a member of a sports team as part of a team uniform and that typically has the athlete's name and number on the back

a football jersey

2

: a plain weft-knitted fabric made of wool, cotton, nylon, rayon, or silk and used especially for clothing

3

Jersey : any of a breed of small short-horned predominantly yellowish brown or fawn dairy cattle noted for their rich milk

Examples of jersey in a Sentence

The dress is made of cotton jersey.

Recent Examples on the Web

Christie, who did appreciate the heaters on his sideline, said most of his girls wore long-sleeve shirts under regular jerseys. —Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026

MacKinnon and his Avalanche teammates were back in those blue Nordiques jerseys for a game in Montreal on Thursday, facing the Canadiens in their now customary home reds. —Arpon Basu, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026

In franchise history, the Patriots are 4-2 in the Super Bowl while wearing white uniforms, compared with 2-3 when wearing colored jerseys. —Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026

At halftime, DePaul will retire the jersey of Rod Strickland, a two-time All-American who led three NCAA Tournament teams from 1985-88. —Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Jersey, one of the Channel Islands

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

jersey

noun

jer·​sey ˈjər-zē 

plural jerseys

1

: a plain knitted fabric

2

: a close-fitting knitted garment (as a shirt)

3

capitalized : any of a breed of small usually light tan dairy cattle having short horns and noted for their rich milk

Geographical Definition

Jersey

geographical name

Jer·​sey ˈjər-zē 

1

island in the English Channel; one of the Channel Islands; capital Saint Helier area 45 square miles (117 square kilometers)

Note: The Jersey breed of cattle, the knit fabric called jersey, and the types of upper-body garments called jerseys all derive their names from this island.

2

new jersey

—an informal name

Jerseyan

ˈjər-zē-ən 

noun

Jerseyite

ˈjər-zē-ˌīt 

noun