jersey

noun

jer·​sey ˈjər-zē How to pronounce jersey (audio)
plural jerseys
1
a
: any of various close-fitting usually circular-knitted garments especially for the upper body
b
: an often loose-fitting shirt that is worn by a member of a sports team as part of a team uniform and that typically has the athlete's name and number on the back
a football jersey
2
: a plain weft-knitted fabric made of wool, cotton, nylon, rayon, or silk and used especially for clothing
3
capitalized : any of a breed of small short-horned predominantly yellowish brown or fawn dairy cattle noted for their rich milk

Examples of jersey in a Sentence

The dress is made of cotton jersey.
Recent Examples on the Web The redshirt senior wore a Davidson basketball polo instead of a jersey. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024 Fletcher’s jersey number is now 4, from 22; Bain went from 44 to 4. Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 Prince William was gifted with a Wrexham jersey with his first name and the number 9 on the back. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 The Wave will display their new primary, secondary and warmup jerseys on Tuesday. Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2024 The player names are smaller on the jerseys, which have drawn complaints from fans and players. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2024 Nike’s unisex sizing for NWSL jerseys currently ranges from a small to a 2XL size whereas the women’s sizing is from an X-small to an XL jersey. Jackie Gutierrez, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 That prompted England shot-stopper Mary Earps to campaign vociferously for the sportswear company to release the women’s goalkeeper jerseys ahead of the tournament. George Ramsay, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 The Philadelphia Phillies’ logo is also no longer chain-stitched onto the jersey. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jersey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Jersey, one of the Channel Islands

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of jersey was in 1587

Dictionary Entries Near jersey

Cite this Entry

“Jersey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jersey. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

jersey

noun
jer·​sey ˈjər-zē How to pronounce jersey (audio)
plural jerseys
1
: a plain knitted fabric
2
: a close-fitting knitted garment (as a shirt)
3
capitalized : any of a breed of small usually light tan dairy cattle having short horns and noted for their rich milk

Geographical Definition

Jersey

geographical name

Jer·​sey ˈjər-zē How to pronounce Jersey (audio)
1
island in the English Channel; one of the Channel Islands; capital Saint Helier area 45 square miles (117 square kilometers)

Note: The Jersey breed of cattle, the knit fabric called jersey, and the types of upper-body garments called jerseys all derive their names from this island.

2
new jersey
an informal name
Jerseyan noun
Jerseyite noun

More from Merriam-Webster on jersey

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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