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jerk²

(jûrk)

tr.v. jerked, jerk·ing, jerks

To cut (meat) into long strips and dry in the sun or cure by exposing to smoke.

adj.

Being or relating to a method of barbecuing meat that has been seasoned and wrapped in leaves of the allspice tree: jerk chicken.

[Back-formation from JERKY².]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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