jury-rig

American  

[joor-ee-rig] / ˈdʒʊər iˌrɪg /

Also jerry-rig

noun

1. Nautical. a temporary rig to replace a permanent rig that has been disabled, lost overboard, etc.

2. any makeshift arrangement of machinery or the like.

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verb (used with object)

jury-rigged, jury-rigging

1. to assemble quickly or from whatever is at hand, especially for temporary use.

   to jury-rig stage lights using automobile headlights.

2. Nautical. to replace (a rudder, mast, etc.) with a jury-rig.

   We jury-rigged a fore-topmast after the storm had snapped ours off.

Etymology

Origin of jury-rig

First recorded in 1840–50; jury ² ( def. ) + rig ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jury-rig jury-rigged jury-rigging

After being stuck there for weeks, he improvised a daring escape, using parts of his own plane to jury-rig another B-17 that had crashed nearby, then flying to an American base in Italy.

From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2024

Taylor plays Inez, a young Harlem fast talker who decides to jury-rig a family by any means necessary.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 31, 2023

Then again, Belters jury-rig everything, so I suppose it’s not too surprising they carelessly bound this macro.

From The Verge ● Jan. 13, 2022

It’s a movie that makes you reserve judgment and pay attention minute to minute, just as Fern’s new life forces her to discard what’s superfluous and jury-rig something new.

From Slate ● Dec. 30, 2020

He could jury-rig the Archimedes sphere into some sort of flying device, maybe, but only if he had his tool belt—which he didn’t.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

A look in the vehicle’s trunk revealed how the automaker jury-rigged a run-of-the-mill sport-utility vehicle to run with Wayve’s technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

Some A/Cs, like the one I’m testing, rest on jury-rigged hardware-store brackets; others lean on stacks of wood, or brick, or, in one case, a rock—their owners improvising to keep cool.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2023

The entire film feels jury-rigged as if every action sequence — and there are too few of them — is designed by an algorithm rather than a human.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2023

This is not to be confused with Greater Los Angeles, often called the Southland, five far-flung counties in Southern California jury-rigged into a single cultural unit.

From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2023

A jury-rigged burner and pot also looked inspired by, if not commandeered from, inmate facilities.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Because of a global shortage of large gas turbines, Mr. Musk’s xAI and some companies are jury-rigging gas plants by installing clusters of small turbines and even retrofitting old jet engines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026

Amid those punishing strikes, Ukraine scrambled to stay ahead of mounting damage, with repair crews working around the clock and under fire, desperately jury-rigging old equipment and rationing precious power.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2023

He told the senator about jury-rigging motorcycle batteries, duct tape and wiring to keep training going, she recalled.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 14, 2022

Don't worry: The regulators are hard at work jury-rigging a fix as I write this.

From New York Times ● Nov. 14, 2012

At least that jury-rigging will be NASA's job to work out, not mine.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir