jerkin

noun

jer·​kin ˈjər-kən How to pronounce jerkin (audio)
: a close-fitting hip-length usually sleeveless jacket

Examples of jerkin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sly emerged after another half hour, having added a black leather jerkin to his ensemble. — Timothy Crouse, Rolling Stone, 9 June 2025 Beside him, the boy Tommen shivered visibly, his leather jerkin inadequate against the unnatural chill that had descended with the dusk. — Kelsey Piper, Vox, 12 May 2025 With social media and the internet allowing artists to avoid the oligarchs that controlled local hip-hop, the jerkin’ movement took root among the region’s teenagers. — Liz Sanchez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024 The star of the painting is the guard’s captain, Michiel de Wael, who wears a yellow jerkin with an icy-blue sash in the foreground. — Zachary Fine, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023 See All Example Sentences for jerkin

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1519, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jerkin was in 1519

Rhymes for jerkin

See All Rhymes for jerkin

Browse Nearby Words

jerkily
jerkin
jerkiness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jerkin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jerkin. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

jerkin

noun
jer·​kin ˈjər-kən How to pronounce jerkin (audio)
: a close-fitting hip-length sleeveless jacket

More from Merriam-Webster on jerkin

Nglish: Translation of jerkin for Spanish Speakers

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