Yerk yerk yerk! It’s fun to say. It almost sounds like a word Dr. Seuss would write. YERK!
yerk (v.) IPA Pronunciation:
thrust, strike, beat
MONTJOY
…and their wounded steeds
Fret fetlock deep in gore and with wild rage
Yerk out their armed heels at their dead masters,
Killing them twice.
– Henry V (IV.vii)
Here’s a tip: Read through a play of Shakespeare without looking at footnotes. You don’t need them as much as you think you do. But keep a notepad handy and write down some interesting or unusual words to look up later. That is, in fact, how I came across this word!