"jerkwater" meaning in English

See jerkwater in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɚk.wɔ.tɚ/ [US] Audio: en-au-jerkwater.ogg Forms: more jerkwater [comparative], most jerkwater [superlative]
Etymology: From jerk (“to move with a sudden movement”) + water. Refers to the need to supply the boilers of steam trains with water. In rural areas and small towns with no water tower, where the train did not stop, this was done by scooping ("jerking") water from a track pan. First appears c. 1852, in the Miami County Sentinel (Peru, Indiana). Etymology templates: {{compound|en|jerk|water|gloss1=to move with a sudden movement}} jerk (“to move with a sudden movement”) + water Head templates: {{en-adj}} jerkwater (comparative more jerkwater, superlative most jerkwater)
  1. (US, colloquial, derogatory) Of an inhabited place, small, insignificant, and backward. Tags: US, colloquial, derogatory Synonyms: See: Thesaurus:remote place Derived forms: jerkwater town Related terms: whistle-stop, jerk water, jerk-water Translations (of an inhabited place, small, insignificant, backward): ма́ленький (málenʹkij) (Russian), незначи́тельный (neznačítelʹnyj) (Russian)
    Sense id: en-jerkwater-en-adj-r0JO5vYJ Categories (other): American English

Noun

IPA: /ˈd͡ʒɚk.wɔ.tɚ/ [US] Audio: en-au-jerkwater.ogg Forms: jerkwaters [plural]
Etymology: From jerk (“to move with a sudden movement”) + water. Refers to the need to supply the boilers of steam trains with water. In rural areas and small towns with no water tower, where the train did not stop, this was done by scooping ("jerking") water from a track pan. First appears c. 1852, in the Miami County Sentinel (Peru, Indiana). Etymology templates: {{compound|en|jerk|water|gloss1=to move with a sudden movement}} jerk (“to move with a sudden movement”) + water Head templates: {{en-noun}} jerkwater (plural jerkwaters)
  1. (US, historical) A train on a branch line. Tags: US, historical
    Sense id: en-jerkwater-en-noun-XItp3dLN Categories (other): American English
  2. A jerkwater town.
    Sense id: en-jerkwater-en-noun-8ciFHiMZ Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English exocentric verb-noun compounds, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 15 7 78 Disambiguation of English exocentric verb-noun compounds: 29 27 43 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 10 3 88 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 13 4 83 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 11 4 85 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 12 4 84

Inflected forms

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        "3": "water",
        "gloss1": "to move with a sudden movement"
      },
      "expansion": "jerk (“to move with a sudden movement”) + water",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From jerk (“to move with a sudden movement”) + water. Refers to the need to supply the boilers of steam trains with water. In rural areas and small towns with no water tower, where the train did not stop, this was done by scooping (\"jerking\") water from a track pan. First appears c. 1852, in the Miami County Sentinel (Peru, Indiana).",
  "forms": [
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      "form": "jerkwaters",
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        "plural"
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "jerkwater (plural jerkwaters)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1975 Mar, Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Magazine of History, volume 71, number 1, page 355:",
          "text": "[…] by bailing from near streams with buckets, (the brake-man called this operation jerking water) and from this the road gets its name of jerkwater road.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A train on a branch line."
      ],
      "id": "en-jerkwater-en-noun-XItp3dLN",
      "links": [
        [
          "train",
          "train"
        ],
        [
          "branch line",
          "branch line"
        ]
      ],
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        "(US, historical) A train on a branch line."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "historical"
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    {
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        {
          "ref": "2016 April 19, Rex Sorgatz, “The Internet Really Has Changed Everything. Here’s the Proof.”, in Wired:",
          "text": "Twenty-five miles down the narrow arid highway, there is another town like Napoleon, a little smaller. And then twenty-five miles further, another. This chain of jerkwaters stretches for a lazy afternoon, until you finally encounter a cluster of people that almost resembles a modern civilization, with a movie theater and chain restaurants.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A jerkwater town."
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      "id": "en-jerkwater-en-noun-8ciFHiMZ",
      "links": [
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          "jerkwater town",
          "jerkwater town"
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  "sounds": [
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      "ipa": "/ˈd͡ʒɚk.wɔ.tɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
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      "audio": "en-au-jerkwater.ogg",
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      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/En-au-jerkwater.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "jerkwater"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "jerk",
        "3": "water",
        "gloss1": "to move with a sudden movement"
      },
      "expansion": "jerk (“to move with a sudden movement”) + water",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From jerk (“to move with a sudden movement”) + water. Refers to the need to supply the boilers of steam trains with water. In rural areas and small towns with no water tower, where the train did not stop, this was done by scooping (\"jerking\") water from a track pan. First appears c. 1852, in the Miami County Sentinel (Peru, Indiana).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more jerkwater",
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        "comparative"
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    },
    {
      "form": "most jerkwater",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
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        {
          "word": "jerkwater town"
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        "Of an inhabited place, small, insignificant, and backward."
      ],
      "id": "en-jerkwater-en-adj-r0JO5vYJ",
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        "(US, colloquial, derogatory) Of an inhabited place, small, insignificant, and backward."
      ],
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        {
          "word": "whistle-stop"
        },
        {
          "word": "jerk water"
        },
        {
          "word": "jerk-water"
        }
      ],
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        {
          "word": "See: Thesaurus:remote place"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
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        "colloquial",
        "derogatory"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "málenʹkij",
          "sense": "of an inhabited place, small, insignificant, backward",
          "word": "ма́ленький"
        },
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          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
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          "sense": "of an inhabited place, small, insignificant, backward",
          "word": "незначи́тельный"
        }
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      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/En-au-jerkwater.ogg"
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      "expansion": "jerk (“to move with a sudden movement”) + water",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From jerk (“to move with a sudden movement”) + water. Refers to the need to supply the boilers of steam trains with water. In rural areas and small towns with no water tower, where the train did not stop, this was done by scooping (\"jerking\") water from a track pan. First appears c. 1852, in the Miami County Sentinel (Peru, Indiana).",
  "forms": [
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        "plural"
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    }
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        {
          "ref": "1975 Mar, Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Magazine of History, volume 71, number 1, page 355:",
          "text": "[…] by bailing from near streams with buckets, (the brake-man called this operation jerking water) and from this the road gets its name of jerkwater road.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A train on a branch line."
      ],
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        ],
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          "branch line"
        ]
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        "(US, historical) A train on a branch line."
      ],
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        "historical"
      ]
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          "ref": "2016 April 19, Rex Sorgatz, “The Internet Really Has Changed Everything. Here’s the Proof.”, in Wired:",
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        }
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        "A jerkwater town."
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    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From jerk (“to move with a sudden movement”) + water. Refers to the need to supply the boilers of steam trains with water. In rural areas and small towns with no water tower, where the train did not stop, this was done by scooping (\"jerking\") water from a track pan. First appears c. 1852, in the Miami County Sentinel (Peru, Indiana).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more jerkwater",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most jerkwater",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
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  "head_templates": [
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "whistle-stop"
    },
    {
      "word": "jerk water"
    },
    {
      "word": "jerk-water"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
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      ],
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        "Of an inhabited place, small, insignificant, and backward."
      ],
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          "insignificant",
          "insignificant"
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        "(US, colloquial, derogatory) Of an inhabited place, small, insignificant, and backward."
      ],
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        "US",
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        "derogatory"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈd͡ʒɚk.wɔ.tɚ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
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    },
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      "audio": "en-au-jerkwater.ogg",
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      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/En-au-jerkwater.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "See: Thesaurus:remote place"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "málenʹkij",
      "sense": "of an inhabited place, small, insignificant, backward",
      "word": "ма́ленький"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "neznačítelʹnyj",
      "sense": "of an inhabited place, small, insignificant, backward",
      "word": "незначи́тельный"
    }
  ],
  "word": "jerkwater"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.