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

capitalized : 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

Since his rise to power, supporters have widely adopted the green-and-yellow national flag and soccer jersey into pro-Bolsonaro emblems. —Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025

Tulane wore its green home uniforms, but wanted to wear white away jerseys in a nod to its 2005 team that wore white after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, forcing the team to play all 12 of its games on the road that season. —Sean Neumann, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025

South Korean flags and Son’s jerseys from his national team, current club and previous club peppered the stands. —The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025

Tulane wore plain green helmets with no decals to honor the team in its 23-3 victory, but the Green Wave wore green jerseys instead of the white ones the 2005 team wore in its opener. —Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025

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