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Nerd vs Jerk - What's the difference?

nerd | jerk |

As nouns the difference between nerd and jerk

is that nerd is a person who is intellectual but generally introverted while jerk is a sudden, often uncontrolled movement, especially of the body.

As a verb jerk is

to make a sudden uncontrolled movement.

nerd

English

Alternative forms

* nurd (very rare)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A person who is intellectual but generally introverted
  • * 1953 Advertisement for "Businessman's Lunch", a play by Micheal Quinn, in Patricia Brown, Gloria Mundi
    • They particularly enjoy making fun of one of their fellows who is not present, whom they consider a hopeless nerd – until, that is, they learn he is engaged to marry the boss's daughter.
  • *
  • *
  • One who has an intense, obsessive interest in something.
    • a computer nerd
    a comic-book nerd
  • An unattractive, socially awkward, annoying, undesirable, and/or boring, person; a dork.
    • Only a nerd would wear yellow and blue stripes with green pants
    Nerds seem to have fun with each other, but in a way that causes others to laugh AT them.
    Why are you hanging out with that nerd ?

    Synonyms

    * (sense) dag (Australian), doofus, dork, dweeb, geek, goober, loser, propeller head, twerp, * See also

    Derived terms

    * arachnerd * cybernerd * entreprenerd * millionerd * nerdboy * nerdbrain * nerdcore * nerdette * nerdfest * nerdgasm * Nerdic * nerdification * nerdify * nerdiness * nerdish * nerdism * nerdistan * nerdlet * nerdlike * nerdling * nerdlinger * nerdo * nerdom/nerddom * nerd out * nerdsome * nerdspeak * nerdtastic * nerdvana * nerdy * technonerd

    References

    * Online Etymology Dictionary

    External links

    * (wikipedia) * (commonslite)

    Anagrams

    * English terms with unknown etymologies ----

    jerk

    English

    Etymology 1

    Probably from (etyl) . Related to (l).

    Alternative forms

    * (l)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sudden, often uncontrolled movement, especially of the body.
  • * 1856 , (Gustave Flaubert), (Madame Bovary), Part III Chapter X, translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling
    • The black cloth bestrewn with white beads blew up from time to time, laying bare the coffin. The tired bearers walked more slowly, and it advanced with constant jerks , like a boat that pitches with every wave.
  • A quick, often unpleasant tug or shake.
    • When I yell "OK," give the mooring line a good jerk !
  • (US, slang, pejorative) A dull or stupid person.
  • (US, slang, pejorative) A person with unlikable or obnoxious qualities and behavior, typically mean, self-centered or disagreeable.
    • I finally fired him, because he was being a real jerk to his customers, even to some of the staff.
    You really are a jerk sometimes.
  • (physics, engineering) The rate of change in acceleration with respect to time.
  • (obsolete) A soda jerk.
  • (weightlifting) A lift in which the weight is taken with a quick motion from shoulder height to a position above the head with arms fully extended and held there for a brief time.
    • Usage notes
    (wikipedia jerk) * Jerk is measured in metres per second cubed (m/s3) in SI units, or in feet per second cubed (ft/s3) in imperial units.
    Synonyms
    * (sudden movement) jolt, lurch, jump * (quick tug) yank * (stupid person) numbskull * (unlikable person) asshole, bastard, twat, knobhead, tosser, wanker, git, dick. * jolt (British), surge, lurch
    Derived terms
    * jerkish * soda jerk

    See also

    * acceleration * displacement * velocity

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make a sudden uncontrolled movement.
  • * 1877 , (Anna Sewell), (Black Beauty) Chapter 23[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Black_Beauty/23]
    • York came to me first, whilst the groom stood at Ginger's head. He drew my head back and fixed the rein so tight that it was almost intolerable; then he went to Ginger, who was impatiently jerking her head up and down against the bit, as was her way now.
  • To give a quick, often unpleasant tug or shake.
  • (US, slang, vulgar) To masturbate.
  • (obsolete) To beat, to hit.
    • (Florio)
  • (obsolete) To throw with a quick and suddenly arrested motion of the hand.
    • to jerk a stone
  • (usually, transitive, weightlifting) To lift using a jerk.
  • (obsolete) To flout with contempt.
    • Derived terms
    * jerk off * jerksome

    Etymology 2

    From American (etyl) charquear, from charqui, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (-)
  • (Caribbean) A rich, spicy Jamaican marinade
  • (Caribbean) Meat cured by jerking; charqui.
    • Jerk chicken is a local favorite.
    Related terms
    *

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cure (meat) by cutting it into strips and drying it, originally in the sun.
  • * 2011 , Dominic Smith, Bright and Distant Shores , page 106:
    • The Lemakot in the north strangled widows and threw them into the cremation pyres of their dead husbands. If they defeated potential invaders the New Irish hanged the vanquished from banyan trees, flensed their windpipes, removed their heads, left their intestines to jerk in the sun.