yerk

1 of 2

verb

ˈyərk How to pronounce yerk (audio)
yerked; yerking; yerks

transitive verb

1
dialect : to beat vigorously : thrash
2
dialect : to attack or excite vigorously : goad

yerk

2 of 2

noun

1
Scotland : a lashing out : kick
2
dialect : jerk sense 1

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to bind tightly

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of yerk was circa 1520

Dictionary Entries Near yerk

Yerevan

yerk

Yerkes

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Yerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yerk. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...