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

On an oceanographic expedition, microbial ecologist Leila Hamdan, currently at the University of Southern Mississippi, recalls having to jury-rig a survival suit with bungee cords.

From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2019

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

While Stellantis used six cameras for the jury-rigged Grand Cherokees, the vehicles available for purchase in 2028 will sport 10 cameras and five radars, giving Wayve’s AI more data to rely on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

Yet now, without any justification, the supermajority has imported Callais’ jury-rigged standards into the constitutional rules against racial gerrymandering.

From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2026

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

So Mr. Holden jury-rigged a food-laden steel trap with a trip wire dangling from his second-story apartment.

From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 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

But the narrative jury-rigging, free-range paranoia and benign neglect of plausibility are the same.

From New York Times ● Jul. 8, 2022

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

Even after Nikola makes recommended changes — painting walls, cadging electricity from a neighbor, jury-rigging water to their dilapidated home from a hose — he’s still denied his kids.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2022

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

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir