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

Last year, The Athletic asked its NHL staff for every NHL team’s best and worst jersey in franchise history. — The Athletic Nhl Staff, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026

With the Pole having joined the Chicago Fire this summer on a free transfer following four highly successful years in Catalonia, the jersey donned by greats such as Luis Suarez, Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldo Nazario is vacant. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Lounge sets from Softies are cute and comfy, made from buttery soft stretch jersey. — ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026

Her contributions to the program were so great that in 2023 Dartmouth formally dedicated her jersey—number 20— in her honor, installing a permanent banner on campus at the Leede Arena basketball court. — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 31 July 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