jerry
jerry Lexical Profile
jerry Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A German person, especially a German soldier during World War I or World War II, or Germans collectively (usually capitalized).
"In the old wartime memoir, the veterans recalled waiting in the trenches for Jerry to make the next move."
North American An inexperienced, clumsy, or oblivious skier or snowboarder who exhibits poor technique or wears ill-fitting gear on the slopes (slang).
"The seasoned ski instructor patiently helped the young jerry recover his scattered equipment below the chairlift."
British A chamber pot.
"Before indoor plumbing was installed in the farmhouse, every bedroom kept a porcelain jerry beneath the bed."
• adjective
British Built or constructed hastily, cheaply, and with inferior materials; flimsy or shoddy.
"The inspector condemned the row of jerry cottages after discovering that the foundations were crumbling."
• verb
Australian To realize, comprehend, or suddenly become aware of a hidden truth, trick, or scheme (often followed by 'to').
"It did not take long for the shopkeeper to jerry to the fact that the customer was trying to shortchange him."
Word Nuance & Usage
When capitalized as 'Jerry', the noun is dated British wartime slang for a German soldier; in lowercase, it survives primarily in compound forms like 'jerry-built' (shoddily constructed) or 'jerry-rigged' (improvised).
• Rhymes for jerry
Word Origin & Etymology
Originated as a familiar pet form of the personal names Jeremy or Jeremiah. In the 19th century, it became British slang for a chamber pot (shortened from 'jeroboam') and for cheap, flimsy construction; during World War I, British soldiers adopted 'Jerry' as a nickname for German soldiers, influenced by both 'German' and the shape of the German steel helmet, which resembled a chamber pot.