Dictionary

herky-jerky en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈhəːkiˌd͡ʒəːki/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈhɚkiˌd͡ʒɚki/ (US)

Meanings

1. (Canada, US, informal) Having an irregular spasmodic movement.
   • While all that herky-jerky mathcore in your collection might not fit the bill, put some Portishead on your Pod and the attached OhMiBod will respond rhythmically in kind. 2006, CMJ New Music Monthly:
   • Lynn has learned the herky-jerky schedule of the university. She has learned about me, and how I respond to its quirks—like a river flowing with hiccups. 2013, Bruce R. Swinburne, Stem: Cells That Divide, page 271:
   • The resulting battlefield is a surface of rough textures, lumbering machines, and brutalist geometric lines, broken up only by the movement of the Mimics, whose herky-jerky darting resembles sped-up stop-motion. 2014 June 5, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, “Edge Of Tomorrow puts Tom Cruise through an action-packed Groundhog Day”, in AV Club:

Forms