jersey
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a shirt worn by a member of a sports team, often showing their name and number.
a shirt worn by an athlete as part of a team uniform, typically featuring the team's colours, logo, and the player's identification.
Simple“He bought a basketball jersey with his favourite player's number on the back.”
In context“The club released their commemorative jersey ahead of the final, featuring a vintage design that paid tribute to their 1970s championship team.”
UsageCommonly used in both American and British English for team sports like football, basketball, or cycling.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
a warm piece of clothing with long sleeves, made of wool or similar material.
a knitted garment worn over the upper body, typically made of wool or cotton.
Simple“She wore a thick woollen jersey to stay warm during the hike.”
In context“The traditional fisherman's jersey was knitted with a dense pattern designed to provide insulation against the harsh North Sea winds.”
UsageIn British English, this is often synonymous with 'jumper'.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a soft, stretchy fabric used to make T-shirts and other comfortable clothes.
a plain-knit or double-knit fabric, originally made of wool but now often cotton or synthetic fibres, characterised by its elasticity.
Simple“This dress is made of a soft cotton jersey that doesn't wrinkle easily.”
In context“The designer preferred working with silk jersey because of the way the material draped elegantly over the figure without requiring complex tailoring.”
UsageUncountable when referring to the material itself.
- 04 B1 Intermediate
the largest of the Channel Islands, located between England and France.
The largest of the Channel Islands and a British Crown Dependency located off the coast of Normandy, France.
Simple“They spent their summer holiday exploring the beaches and historic castles on Jersey.”
In context“Jersey maintains its own financial and legal systems while remaining a dependency of the British Crown.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
a small breed of cow that produces very rich, creamy milk.
A breed of small dairy cattle, originally from the island of Jersey, noted for the high butterfat content of its milk.
Simple“The farmer kept a small herd of Jerseys because their milk is excellent for making butter.”
In context“The dairy cooperative specialises in products derived exclusively from Jersey cows, marketing the high cream content as a premium feature.”
From Middle English Gersey, from Anglo-Norman Gersui, further etymology disputed. Probably from Old Norse [Term?], compound of Geirs (“Geirr's”) + ey (“island”). Also occasionally and historically connected to Latin Caesarea, a common name given to locations conquered by the Romans in honor of Caesar (compare French Césarée). The latter theory still bestows the Latin translation of the island.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.