Also 6 iarzie, ierdseie, iarnsey, 7–9 jars(e)y. The name of the largest of the Channel Islands: used attrib. and ellipt., esp. in reference to the knitting of stockings and other worsted articles, which was long a staple industry of Jersey.
1. attrib. Of Jersey; of Jersey worsted.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., I. (1879), 57. Nether-stocks … not of cloth … for that is thought to base, but of Iarnsey worsted.
1603. in Brand, Hist. Newcastle (1789), II. 231. [Not] to weare … worsted or Jersey stockings.
1693. Lond. Gaz., No. 2914/4. One fine Knit Jersey Night Gown … 3 pair of Knit Jersey Breeches. Ibid. (1704), No. 4030/4. Light-coloured Jersey Stockings.
2. sb. a. Jersey knitted work; Jersey worsted; worsted generally.
1587. Acc. Death Mary Q. Scots (Bodl. MS. e Museo 178, lf. 21 b). Her hose wer wosted … wrought with syluer about the Clockes, and whit Iarzie vnder them.
1587. Harrison, England, II. vii. (1877), I. 170. The women’s diverslie coloured nether stocks of silke jerdseie.
1882. Beck, Draper’s Dict., 175. Jarsey is still the local name for worsted in Lancashire.
† b. Wool that has been combed and is ready for spinning. Obs.
1657. Golden Fleece, 98 (N.). The present practice … which daily carrieth away of the finest sorts of Wools ready combed into jarsies for worke.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 286/1. Jersey, is the finest Wool taken out of other sorts of Wool by Combing it with a Jersey-Comb.
1781. Specif. G. Dundas’ Patent No. 1288 (title), New Method of Spinning of Jersey.
1790. P. Luckombe, Eng. Gazetteer, s.v. Kettering, A charity-school of 20 girls employed in spinning jerseys.
3. A woollen knitted close-fitting tunic, with short or long sleeves; applied esp. to that worn as a sole covering of the body in athletic exercises and sports; also, to a similar woollen garment worn either as an outer tunic by seamen, children, etc., or as an under-shirt or under-vest; also, to a close-fitting knitted tunic or jacket worn by women.
1836–48. B. D. Walsh, Aristoph., Knights, 215. But though you saw poor People [Δῆμος] here … had no flannel-waistcoat, ne’er Have you given him a jersey.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, I. v. Now each house has its own uniform of [football] cap and jersey, of some lively colour. Ibid. (1861), Tom Brown at Oxf., ii. (1889), 15. Here’s this rough jersey which I use instead of a coat.
1880. Miss Braddon, Just as I am, vii. She was not the kind of woman to encase herself in a boating Jersey because the fashion book told her that Jerseys were universally worn.
1889. Rawlinson, Phoenicia, 356. A close-fitting tunic with short sleeves, like a modern ‘jersey.’
b. A man wearing a jersey. Blue jersey, a seaman, a bargee.
1889. A. T. Pask, Eyes Thames, 57. You pass some dingy anchored craft in which the blue jerseys are smoking.
4. One of a breed of cattle of the Channel Islands; a cow of the island of Jersey.
1881. J. P. Sheldon, Dairy Farming, 25/1. The term ‘Jerseys’ is now taking the lead of the others.
1885. Pall Mall Gaz., 2 Oct., 9/1. An exceptionally fine lot of Jerseys were shown.
5. Comb., as (sense 2) jersey-comb, -comber, -weaver, -wheel; (3) jersey-shaped adj.
1634. Canterbury Marriage Licences (MS.), Nicholas Du Sor, jarsey-weaver.
1688. Jersey-Comb [see 2 b].
1718–9. Overseers’ Acc. Holy Cross, Canterbury, A jarsey wheel a cloath basket.
1720. Lond. Gaz., No. 5881/5. Humphry Maden,… Jarsy-comber.
1884. J. M. Cowper, Our Parish Bks., 113. Spinning Wheels or jersey-wheels, were provided.
Hence Jerseyed a., wearing a jersey.
1860. Manchester Weekly Times, 6 Oct., Suppl. 1. There is nobody on deck except the red-jerseyed helmsman.
1869. Pall Mall Gaz., 29 Sept., 10/2. Blue-jerseyed boatmen and newspaper boys.
1890. Daily News, 17 Nov., 6/2. Red-jerseyed Salvationists serve there all day alone.
