Jerry

//ˈd͡ʒɛɹi// adj, name, noun, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Jerry-built. dated, not-comparable

    "If a man builds a jerry-house, he has a jerry conscience; and there are a lot of consciences of that description going about."

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A diminutive of the male given names Gerald, Gerard, Jeremy, Jeremiah, Jared, Jerome, Jermaine, Jerrold, or similar male given names.

    "We stated in our last that the award in this class was sent to Fowler & Vannatta’s Jerry, but this was a mistake which arose from the fact that there were two Jerrys in this class and both of them grade Herefords, one from Benton County, Ind., and one shown by Wallace Libby & Co., Ottawa, Ill. When the awards were made it was announced that Mr. Vannatta’s Jerry was the winner, and that breeder left for his home congratulating himself on the fact of having a winner on the block; […]"

  2. 2
    A personification of the German people. UK, US, dated, ethnic, slur

    "Phipps went on: “One of our chaps, out on a reccy over the Bulgarian front, thought he saw something in the snow. Something fishy. He dropped down to have a dekko and nearly had kittens. What d'you think? Jerry's got a mass of stuff there—tanks, guns, lorries, every sort of heavy armament. All camouflaged. White.”"

  3. 3
    A diminutive of the female given names Geraldine or Jerilyn.
  4. 4
    An unincorporated community in Asotin County, Washington, United States; named for early rancher Jerry McGuire.
Noun
  1. 1
    Alternative letter-case form of jerry (“a chamber pot”). alt-of
  2. 2
    A German, particularly a male German. British, US, dated, ethnic, slur

    "But Robert had been cheeriness itself, had told them to buck up and think of England, reminding them that moaning wasn’t going to beat the Jerries."

  3. 3
    A chamber pot. Ireland, UK, slang

    "We used chamber-pots a good deal – ‘jerries’ – cause of much hilarity doe to the hostilities."

  4. 4
    Alternative letter-case form of Jerry (“a German”). alt-of, ethnic, slur
  5. 5
    A watch (timepiece). UK, obsolete

    "Watch stealing, or jerry getting, as the thieving fraternity designate the operation, is carried on to a considerable extent all the year round."

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    offensive term for a person of German descent wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

Clipping + -y.

Etymology 2

Clipping of German + -y. Popularized during World War I.

Etymology 3

Clipping of German + -y. Popularized during World War I.

Etymology 4

Probably an abbreviation of jeroboam.

Etymology 5

Short for jerry-built.

Etymology 6

Alternative forms.

Next best steps

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: jerry