# yerk

> English word · Verb · IPA /jɜː(ɹ)k/

## Definitions
1. To stab (someone or something).
2. To throw or thrust with a sudden, smart movement; to kick or strike suddenly; to jerk.
3. To strike or lash with a whip or stick.
4. To rouse or excite.
5. To bind or tie with a jerk.

## Etymology
From Middle English ȝerken (“to move suddenly, excite, bind tightly, attack”), from Old English ġearcian (“to prepare, make ready”), compare ġearc (“active, quick”), from Proto-Germanic *garwakōną (“to prepare”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- (“to grab, take”). Cognate with jerk; see yare for more cognates.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/yerk