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

One player or another has changed his jersey number seemingly every day since San Diego State began preseason camp three weeks ago. — Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026

In the studio, while setting up a model for the piece using real weights and real jerseys and making a one-to-one maquette, a couple of things happened. — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 21 Aug. 2026

This summer jerseys and track shorts officially dethroned yoga pants as the athletic trend du jour for fashion connoisseurs, with a focus on both comfort and style through elegant finishing touches. — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 Aug. 2026

The apparel can be from any school, middle school through college, and can include t-shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys and hats, among other apparel. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 20 Aug. 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