jersey

noun

jer·​sey ˈjər-zē 

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

Jersey : 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 front desk clerk exchanged passports for iron keys while also running a prostitute ring; peddlers roamed the premises hawking lacquer boxes and sports jerseys in garbled English. —Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026

The ’24 Sox wore ’49’ patches on their jerseys that entire season. —Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026

In addition to the new back-of-jersey sponsorship MLS added this year, which is currently unsold for LAFC, the club’s front-of-shirt and sleeve assets may come available for 2027 should its existing partners choose not to renew. —Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 2 Apr. 2026

UConn held its practice Wednesday afternoon at the Phoenix’s Mercury’s practice facility, where the hardwood is named the Diana Taurasi Court and bears a logo of her likeness wearing her jersey number 3. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Jersey, one of the Channel Islands

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

jersey

noun

jer·​sey ˈjər-zē 

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 

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

ˈjər-zē-ən 

noun

Jerseyite

ˈjər-zē-ˌīt 

noun