jerky

1 of 2

adjective

jerkier; jerkiest
1
a
: moving along with or marked by fits and starts
b
: characterized by abrupt transitions
2
jerkily adverb
jerkiness noun

jerky

2 of 2

noun

jer·​ky ˈjər-kē How to pronounce jerky (audio)
: jerked meat

Examples of jerky in a Sentence

Adjective The movie was jerky and hard to watch. made jerky progress walking with the new crutches
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
There's a seemingly endless supply of snack option -- chips, pretzels, jerky, cakes and more. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 4 Mar. 2024 Beef and pork meatloaf coated in mashed potatoes formed a locomotive with a wine cork chimney and biscuit wheels on jerky tracks. The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024 Each box features 10 jerky bits in tantalizing flavors like Whiskey Maple, Root Beer Habanero, and Sesame Ginger, just to name a few. Jenna Clark, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2024 Each box contains a variety of jerky and other meat snacks. Jenna Clark, Southern Living, 4 Dec. 2023 The packets in jerky and other foods are designed to absorb oxygen, while the packs of silicone beads absorb moisture. Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 7 Dec. 2023 At one point, Edgar joins the vultures in a dance, his jerky physicality synced with theirs. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2023 When choosing a glider to soothe a baby, finding one that does not produce a jerky motion is key, and this chair delivers on an exceptionally smooth movement. Casey Seiden, Parents, 11 July 2023 Buc-ee’s said the Harrison County store will carry the same food and drink options available at its Texas stores, such as barbecue, fudge, kolaches, Beaver Nuggets, jerky and pastries. Irving Mejia-Hilario, Dallas News, 15 Aug. 2023
Noun
Books chronicling Sheldon’s aerial heroics and his years mapping the Alaska Range with cartographer Bradford Washburn line the shelves of the living room; the open kitchen is stocked with snacks including pickled spruce tips and Alaskan-salmon jerky. Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 3 Feb. 2024 One booth is hawking Wagyu beef jerky, another wants to introduce you to gochujang cheese. Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2024 The auditor who looked at the Minnesota jerky factory for Walgreens was Joshua Callington. Hannah Dreier, New York Times, 28 Dec. 2023 Plenty of backcountry hunters, hikers, and backpackers take foods like jerky into the woods. Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 29 Nov. 2023 Two just make the 90- minute round trip to get it – while the others pull out jerky and thermoses of coffee. Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Dec. 2023 The Drink: Old Potrero Queen Sun This drink is a perfect strong and sweet counterpoint to your next-level jerky. By sunset, Sunset Magazine, 19 Oct. 2023 There’s beef chili, rib-eye steak, beef stew, flank steak, pot roast, hamburger mac casserole, and even homemade jerky. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2023 Kathryn: If your day consists largely of drinking parallel-economy coffee and eating parallel-economy beef jerky or duck jerky or buffalo jerky, there’s a lot of kinds of pemmican and dried meats and things like that. The New Republic, 13 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jerky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Spanish charqui, from Quechua ch'arki

First Known Use

Adjective

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jerky was in 1670

Dictionary Entries Near jerky

Cite this Entry

“Jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jerky. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

jerky

1 of 2 noun
jer·​ky
ˈjər-kē
: jerked meat

jerky

2 of 2 adjective
ˈjər-kē
jerkier; jerkiest
1
: marked by jerks
a jerky ride on a dirt road
2
jerkily
-kə-lē
adverb
jerkiness
-kē-nəs
noun
Etymology

Noun

from Spanish charqui "jerky," from Quechua ch'arki

Adjective

jerk (noun) and -y (adjective suffix)

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