tr.v. jer·ry-built (-bĭlt′), jer·ry-build·ing, jer·ry-builds To build shoddily, flimsily, and cheaply. See Usage Note at jury-rig. [From dialectal jerry, defective, perhaps from the name Jerry.] jerry-build′er n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.