Jerky describes movement that's rough, sudden, and uneven instead of smooth and flowing. When a car with a new driver lurches forward and backward at a stoplight, that's jerky movement. When someone's hands shake while trying to thread a needle, those jerky motions make the task harder. A robot learning to walk might move in a jerky way before its programming improves.

The word captures that quality of stopping and starting abruptly, like watching a video that keeps freezing and jumping forward. A jerky ride on a bumpy road jolts passengers around. A marionette puppet controlled by an inexperienced puppeteer moves in a jerky, unnatural way.

Interestingly, jerky also means something completely different: thin strips of dried, seasoned meat. Beef jerky is a popular snack made by removing most of the moisture from meat and adding spices. People have been making jerky for thousands of years as a way to preserve meat without refrigeration.