Jam

/ˈd͡ʒæm/ · noun

Meaning

(less common in the US) A sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar and allowed to congeal. Often spread on bread or toast or used in jam tarts.

Definitions by Sense

1. (less common in the US) A sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar and allowed to congeal. Often spread on bread or toast or used in jam tarts
2. (countable) A difficult situation.
3. (countable) A blockage, congestion, or immobilization.
4. (countable, popular music) An informal, impromptu performance or rehearsal.
5. (countable, by extension, informal) A song; a track.
6. (countable, by extension) An informal event where people brainstorm and collaborate on projects.
7. (countable, slang) That which one particularly prefers, desires, enjoys, or cares about.
8. (countable, basketball) A forceful dunk.

Example Sentences

He is allergic to jam.

She loves eating jam for breakfast in hotels.

It's a blackmail ring, and the district attorneys get a share of the loot. […] Well, they got him in the same kind of jam, and soaked him to the tune of three hundred and eighty-six thousand.

She was married when we first met / Soon to be divorced / I helped her out of a jam, I guess / But I used a little too much force

Where, where is my common sense? / How did I get in a jam like this?

a jam on the 101 South, blocking the two right lanes [radio report]

a jam of logs in a river

According to Boeing, in the history of this elevator design (which exists on all Boeing DC-9/MD-80 series and 717 model airplanes), this accident was the first notification that Boeing had received of an elevator jam occurring on an airplane exposed to ground gusts lower than 65 kts. Boeing noted that the elevator design first entered service in 1965 on the then-Douglas DC-9 airplane.

Synonyms for jam

Antonyms for jam

Related Words

Word Forms

• jams
• jamming
• jammed

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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