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jam1 definition

jam (jam)

transitive verb jammed, jamming jam′·ming

  1. to squeeze or wedge into or through a confined space
    1. to bruise or crush
    2. to force (a thumb, toe, etc.) back against its joint so as to cause impaction
  2. to push, shove, or crowd
  3. to pack full or tight
  4. to fill or block (a passageway, river, etc.) by crowding or squeezing in
    1. to wedge or make stick to prevent movement
    2. to put out of order by such jamming to jam a rifle
  5. to make (radio broadcasts, radar signals, etc.) unintelligible, as by sending out other signals on the same wavelength
  6. Basketball, Slang stuff ()

Etymology: < ?

intransitive verb

    1. to become wedged or stuck fast
    2. to become unworkable through such jamming of parts
  1. to push against one another in a confined space
  2. Informal to improvise freely, esp. in a jam session

noun

  1. a jamming or being jammed
  2. a group of persons or things so close together as to jam a passageway, etc. a traffic jam
  3. Informal a difficult situation; predicament
  4. Informal jam session
  5. Basketball, Slang stuff ()
jam2 definition

jam (jam)

noun

a food made by boiling fruit with sugar to a thick mixture

Etymology: < ? jam

Jam definition

Jam

Jamaica

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
jam Synonyms

jam

n.

  1. Preserves

    jelly, conserve, fruit butter, spread, marmalade, sweet, sugarplums, candied fruit; see also jelly 1.

  2. *A troublesome situation

    dilemma, trouble, bind*, fix*; see difficulty 1, predicament.


jam

v.

  1. To force one's way

    jostle, squeeze, crowd, throng, wedge, press, elbow, thrust, pack; see also press 1, push 1.

  2. To pack full

    fill, block, cram, squeeze; see bar 1, compress, pack 2.

  3. To interfere with radio signals

    drown out, garble, scramble, muddle; see confuse.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

jam Usage Examples

Object

  • switchboard: Another red flag is that this happens over a major American city and is seen by enough people to jam switchboards.

Converse of object

  • pack: The room was jam packed with people at the free rave.

Adjective modifier

  • strawberry: I sure could go some of your raspberry or strawberry jam!

Modifies a noun

  • jar: For many people the Saving Gateway replaces an existing informal form of saving ( the jam jar for instance ).

Noun used with modifier

  • traffic: For a scenic tour of Bromley traffic jams, go to Road Tour.
jam usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

jam quotes

   The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterdayöbut never jam to-day.

-Dodgson

jam quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"jam." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/jam>

APA Style

jam. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/jam

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