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

But after missing both free-throw attempts, Morant limped off the floor, ripped off his jersey and headed to the locker room. —William Guillory, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025

Fans can also pick up their favorite teams' official 2025 NFL Draft hats that the players will be rocking on stage now, as well as the No. 1 picks' jerseys as soon as they are selected on Fanatics! —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025

Johnston brought a gift for the pontiff: an autographed Mahomes jersey. —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2025

Instead of a sea of yellow and black, there surely will be large swaths of fans in pink No. 10 jerseys and Argentina national team shirts. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 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