English Reference

Word

jerking

Phoneticsjerk·ing

US/ˈdʒɝkɪŋ/

UK/dʒˈɜːkɪŋ/

Definition

n. a sudden, quick movement that is not smooth. You might feel this if a car stops very fast or if your muscles twitch.

n. a short, sudden, and spasmodic movement. Often refers to involuntary physical motions or the abrupt physical motion of a vehicle or machine.

Examples

“The sudden jerking of the train made me spill my coffee.”

“The doctor noticed a slight jerking in the patient's leg during the reflex test.”

“The old engine started with a violent jerking that shook the entire chassis before finally settling into a rhythmic, if noisy, idle.”

Examples

simple

“The sudden jerking of the train made me spill my coffee.”

contextual

“The doctor noticed a slight jerking in the patient's leg during the reflex test.”

complex

“The old engine started with a violent jerking that shook the entire chassis before finally settling into a rhythmic, if noisy, idle.”

Word family

jerkNounjerkingNounjerkyNoun

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference