Jerkwater

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒɚk.wɔ.tɚ/

Definitions

1. A small, insignificant, and remote town or place, typically lacking in modern conveniences or cultural importance
2. A term used to denote a place that is minor, isolated, and lacking modern amenities or cultural relevance
3. A diminutive and unimportant locality that is often overlooked and generally has few contemporary facilities or cultural significance

Etymology: Before diesel engines, a steam locomotive had to stop regularly to refill its boiler, and in towns without a water tower, the crew did it on the move. A scoop lowered from the tender dipped into a trough of water laid between the rails, called a track pan, and the sudden jolt of the scoop being yanked up is what gave the practice its name: "jerking" water. A stop with no proper water supply became a "jerk-water" stop, and the small, dusty place where it happened became a jerkwater town. The earliest recorded use appears around 1852 in the Miami County Sentinel of Peru, Indiana, so the term was already in print while steam was still the new technology of American railroading. The word's sense of contempt came later, as the most minor stations on a line became shorthand for places that barely mattered.

Synonyms: insignificant, minor, petty

Antonyms: important, significant, major