jersey
noun
a close-fitting, knitted sweater or shirt.
jersey
1 American
[jur-zee]
/ ˈdʒɜr zi /
noun
-
jerseys
plural
-
a close-fitting, knitted sweater or shirt.
-
a plain-knit, machine-made fabric of wool, silk, nylon, rayon, etc., characteristically soft and elastic, used for garments.
-
(initial capital letter) one of a breed of dairy cattle, raised originally on the island of Jersey, producing milk with a high butterfat content.
Jersey
2
American
[jur-zee]
/ ˈdʒɜr zi /
noun
-
a British island in the English Channel: the largest of the Channel Islands. 44 sq. mi. (116 sq. km). St. Helier.
-
Informal. New Jersey.
jersey
1
British
/ ˈdʒɜːzɪ /
noun
-
a knitted garment covering the upper part of the body
-
-
a machine-knitted slightly elastic cloth of wool, silk, nylon, etc, used for clothing
-
( as modifier )
a jersey suit
-
-
a football shirt
Jersey
2
British
/ ˈdʒɜːzɪ /
noun
-
an island in the English Channel, the largest of the Channel Islands: forms, with two other islands, the bailiwick of Jersey; colonized from Normandy in the 11th century and still officially French-speaking; noted for finance, market gardening, dairy farming, and tourism. Capital: St Helier. Pop: 95 732 (2013 est). Area: 116 sq km (45 sq miles)
-
a breed of dairy cattle producing milk with a high butterfat content, originating from the island of Jersey
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of jersey
First recorded in 1575–85; after Jersey
Explanation
Jersey is the soft, stretchy fabric that is most often used to make T-shirts. Because they're usually made from this fabric, the tunic shirts that athletes wear are also called jerseys. Jersey is made from knitted cotton, wool, or synthetic material, and it's used for a lot of commercial clothing — everything from polo shirts to fancy dresses. The name comes from Jersey, a region of what's now the British Isles where jersey was first developed. The word was first used for athletic shirts in the 1840s.
Vocabulary lists containing jersey
American Football, 3rd Quarter
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Out Of Whole Cloth: Material Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Darius the Great Is Not Okay
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He had his football jersey retired in 2023.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
Tarling now wears the white fastest young rider's jersey on stage two, which is a 214.3km hilly race to Manosque in Provence.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Only 15,435 spectators visited Dignity Health Sports Park — which has a capacity of 27,000 — to see the Mexican forward line up in Galaxy home jersey for the first time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
The losingest jersey in sports masked five no-funny-business basketball players who could give superstars a scare.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
I then brush the crumbs still on the front of my jersey onto him.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
McGowan has since negotiated various sponsorship deals to offset costs of her June 2027 nuptials at a New Jersey mansion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
I expect to keep volunteering at the same pace while living in New Jersey.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
I needed a change of pace, so I spent the next few months in New Jersey to be close to my folks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Zahid Quraishi, a federal judge in New Jersey, said it best.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
Get him to waiting agents in New Jersey.
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
On the shuttle bus I rode last week, I met Tsutomu and Sayuri Ichikawa, a couple from Tokyo wearing his and hers Roki Sasaki jerseys.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Some supporters hurried to work still wearing Spain jerseys, while others had red and yellow face paint streaked across their cheeks.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
They were loud - very loud - for every Mexico game and when they won fireworks could be heard around LA while their distinct green jerseys were seen everywhere.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Even when Argentina was reduced to 10 men, the wave of Spanish jerseys kept crashing into the same resolute defense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
A handful of kids dressed up today, but most kids just wore normal clothes, or those don’t-actually-count costumes like baseball jerseys.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
