Wiktionary

jam

See also: jamb, JAM, jám, -jam, Jam., and ям

English Edit

 
Marmalade, a type of jam, spread on a piece of bread
 
A strawberry jam and peanut butter sandwich

Pronunciation Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

First attested in the early 18th c. as a verb meaning “to press, be pressed, be wedged in”. Compare dialectal jammock (“to press, squeeze, crush into a soft mass, chew food"; also "a soft, pulpy substance”). Perhaps from Middle English chammen, champen ("to bite upon something, gnash the teeth"; whence modern champ, chomp), of uncertain origin; probably originally onomatopoeic.

Noun Edit

jam (countable and uncountable, plural jams)

  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.
    Synonyms: (US) conserve, jelly, preserve
  2. (countable) A difficult situation.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:difficult situation
    • 1928, Upton Sinclair, Boston:
      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.
    • 1975, Bob Dylan (lyrics and music), “Tangled Up in Blue”:
      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
    • 1977, David Byrne (lyrics and music), “Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town”, in Talking Heads: 77, performed by Talking Heads:
      Where, where is my common sense? / How did I get in a jam like this?
  3. (countable) A blockage, congestion, or immobilization.
    A traffic jam caused us to miss the game's first period.
    a jam of logs in a river
    • 2019 February 14, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.3.2.3 Elevator Design Standard for Ground Gust Loads”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Runway Overrun During Rejected Takeoff, Ameristar Air Cargo, Inc., dba Ameristar Charters, flight 9363, Boeing MD-83, N786TW, Ypsilanti, Michigan, March 8, 2017‎[2], archived from the original on 2 July 2022, page 12:
      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.
  4. (countable, popular music) An informal, impromptu performance or rehearsal.
  5. (countable, by extension, informal) A song; a track.
    • 2001, Jet, volume 100, number 22, page 25:
      The result is an outstanding assortment of sophisticated, sexy and hip-hop-tinged R&B grooves, ballads and party jams.
  6. (countable, by extension) An informal event where people brainstorm and collaborate on projects.
    We came up with some new ideas at the game jam.
    • 2017, Fred Patten, Furry Fandom Conventions, 1989-2015, page 92:
      […] a day at new Farm Park with an art jam, fursuit games, and a nerf war, ending in the evening at the strike Wintergarden bowling center.
  7. (countable, slang) That which one particularly prefers, desires, enjoys, or cares about.
    Teaching is my jam.
  8. (countable, baseball) A difficult situation for a pitcher or defending team.
    The pitcher's in a jam now, having walked the bases loaded with the cleanup hitter coming to bat.
  9. (countable, basketball) A forceful dunk.
  10. (countable, roller derby) A play during which points can be scored.
    Toughie scored four points in that jam.
  11. (climbing, countable) Any of several maneuvers requiring wedging of an extremity into a tight space.
    I used a whole series of fist and foot jams in that crack.
  12. (Australia) The tree Acacia acuminata, with fruity-smelling hard timber.
    Synonyms: raspberry jam tree, stinking acacia
  13. (UK, slang) Luck.
    He's got more jam than Waitrose.
  14. (Canada, slang) balls, bollocks, courage, machismo
    I don't think he has the jam.
  15. (slang) Sexual relations or the contemplation of them.
Derived terms Edit
terms derived from jam (noun)
climbing terms
Descendants Edit
  • → Czech: džem
  • → Dutch: jam
  • → Estonian: džemm
  • → Japanese: ジャム (jamu)
  • → Korean: 잼 (jaem)
  • → Polish: dżem
  • → Russian: джем (džem)
  • → Serbo-Croatian: džȅm, џе̏м
  • → Slovak: džem
  • → Ukrainian: джем (džem)
Translations Edit
See also Edit

Verb Edit

jam (third-person singular simple present jams, present participle jamming, simple past and past participle jammed)

  1. To get something stuck, often (though not necessarily) in a confined space.
    My foot got jammed in a gap between the rocks.
    Her poor little baby toe got jammed in the door.
    I jammed the top knuckle of my ring finger.
  2. To brusquely force something into a space; to cram, to squeeze.
    They temporarily stopped the gas tank leak by jamming a piece of taffy into the hole.
    The rush-hour train was jammed with commuters.
    • 1779, George Colman, Farewell Epilogue, spoken at Wynnstay after the representation of Cymbeline and The Spanish Barber, 22 January, 1779, in Prose on Several Occasions: Accompanied with Some Pieces in Verse, London: T. Cadel, 1787, Volume 3, p. 283,[3]
      Since the new post-horse tax, I dare engage
      That some folks here have travell’d in the Stage:
      Jamm’d in at midnight, in cold winter weather,
      The crouded passengers are glew’d together.
  3. To render something unable to move.
    • 2019 February 14, National Transportation Safety Board, “2.3.3 Elevator Load Testing”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Runway Overrun During Rejected Takeoff, Ameristar Air Cargo, Inc., dba Ameristar Charters, flight 9363, Boeing MD-83, N786TW, Ypsilanti, Michigan, March 8, 2017‎[4], archived from the original on 2 July 2022, page 56:
      Considering the results of the CFD wind simulation, the NTSB designed several series of static and dynamic elevator load tests to determine what conditions, consistent with the known circumstances of the accident, could enable the inboard actuating crank and links of the right elevator's geared tab to move beyond their normal range of travel and become locked in an overcenter position (and, as a result, jam the right elevator).
  4. To cause congestion or blockage. Often used with "up".
    A single accident can jam the roads for hours.
  5. To block or confuse a radio or radar signal by transmitting a more-powerful signal on the same frequency.
    The government jams foreign propaganda broadcasts.
    The airstrike suffered minimal casualties because electronic-warfare aircraft were jamming the enemy air-defense radars.
  7. (baseball) To throw a pitch at or near the batter's hands.
    Jones was jammed by the pitch.
  8. (basketball) To dunk.
  10. (music) To play music (especially improvisation as a group, or an informal unrehearsed session).
  11. To injure a finger or toe by sudden compression of the digit's tip.
    When he tripped on the step he jammed his toe.
  12. (roller derby) To attempt to score points.
    Toughie jammed four times in the second period.
  13. (nautical, transitive) To bring (a vessel) so close to the wind that half her upper sails are laid aback.
    • (Can we date this quote?), William Clark Russell, The Golden Hope:
      It won't do to jam her,” answered Stone ;" but it might be worth findin' out if th' Hope won't lie closer than t' other can." Half a point ----"
  14. (Canada, informal) To give up on a date or some other joint endeavour; to stand up, chicken out, jam out.
  15. (colloquial) To be of high quality.
    I love this song! This song jams!
Synonyms Edit
Derived terms Edit
Translations Edit

Etymology 2 Edit

Persian or Hindi, meaning "garment, robe;" see جامه‎ (“garment”). Related to pajamas.

Noun Edit

jam (plural jams)

  1. (dated) A kind of frock for children.

Etymology 3 Edit

Noun Edit

jam (plural jams)

  1. (mining) Alternative form of jamb

References Edit

See also Edit

Anagrams Edit

Albanian Edit

Etymology Edit

Inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésmi (“to be, exist”).[1][2][3][4][5] The aorist qeshë may derive from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- (“to turn, revolve”), with a semantic development similar to Proto-Germanic *werþaną (“to become”).[4]

Pronunciation Edit

Verb Edit

jam (first-person singular past tense qeshë, participle qenë)

  1. to be
    1. Indicates a quality or identity.
      Është e bukur. ― She is beautiful.
      Si je? ― How are you?
      S'është për ty. ― It is not for you.
    2. Indicates location.
      Synonym: gjendem
      Jam në shtëpi. ― I am at home.
      Janë jeshta. ― They are out.
      Ku je? ― Where are you?
    3. (intransitive) to live, stay alive
      Synonyms: rroj, jetoj, gjëllij
    4. to be from, come from [+ nga (object)]
      Synonyms: vij, rrjedh
      Jemi nga Shqipëria. ― We are from Albania.
      Nga je? ― Where are you from?
    5. to support, agree with [+ me (object)]
      Synonyms: pajtohem, përkrah
      Jam me ty. ― I agree with you.
    6. (third person) to happen, take place, occur
      Synonyms: ndodh, ngjan, bëhet
    7. (third person) there be
      Synonym: ka
      Janë mjaft. ― There are enough.
    8. Followed by gerunds, forms the present continuous.
      Isha duke lexuar. ― I was reading.

Conjugation Edit

Standard Albanian conjugation of jam (active voice)

  • Show compound tenses:  

participle qenë
singular plural
1st pers. 2nd pers. 3rd pers. 1st pers. 2nd pers. 3rd pers.
indicative present jam je është/ë jemi jeni janë
imperfect isha ishe ishte/ish ishim ishit ishin
aorist qeshë qe qe qemë qetë qenë
perfect kam qenë ke qenë ka qenë kemi qenë keni qenë kanë qenë
past perfect kisha qenë kishe qenë kishte qenë kishim qenë kishit qenë kishin qenë
aorist II pata qenë pate qenë pati qenë patëm qenë patët qenë patën qenë
future1 do të jem do të jesh do të jetë do të jemi do të jeni do të janë
future perfect2 do të kem qenë do të kesh qenë do të ketë qenë do të kemi qenë do të keni qenë do të kenë qenë
subjunctive present të jem të jesh të jetë të jemi të jeni të janë
imperfect të isha të ishe të ishte/ish të ishim të ishit të ishin
perfect të kem qenë të kesh qenë të ketë qenë të kemi qenë të keni qenë të kenë qenë
past perfect të kisha qenë të kishe qenë të kishte qenë të kishim qenë të kishit qenë të kishin qenë
conditional1, 2 imperfect do të isha do të ishe do të ishte/ish do të ishim do të ishit do të ishin
past perfect do të kisha qenë do të kishe qenë do të kishte qenë do të kishim qenë do të kishit qenë do të kishin qenë
optative present qofsha qofsh qoftë qofshim qofshit qofshin
perfect paça qenë paç qenë pastë qenë paçim qenë paçit qenë paçin qenë
admirative present qenkam qenke qenka qenkemi qenkeni qenkan
imperfect qenkësha qenkëshe qenkësh qenkëshim qenkëshit qenkëshin
perfect paskam qenë paske qenë paska qenë paskemi qenë paskeni qenë paskan qenë
past perfect paskësha qenë paskëshe qenë paskësh qenë paskëshim qenë paskëshit qenë paskëshin qenë
imperative present — ji — — jini —
1) indicative future identical with conditional present 2) indicative future perfect identical with conditional perfect

References Edit

  1. ^ Meyer, G. (1891), “jam”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch der albanesischen Sprache (in German), Strasbourg: Karl J. Trübner, →DOI, pages 160–161
  2. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), “es-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 1, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 340
  3. ^ Demiraj, Bardhyl (1997) Albanische Etymologien: Untersuchungen zum albanischen Erbwortschatz [Albanian Etymologies: Investigations into the Albanian Inherited Lexicon] (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 7)‎[1] (in German), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, pages 207–208
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Orel, Vladimir E. (1998), “jam”, in Albanian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill, →ISBN, page 156
  5. ^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “sum”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 599

Further reading Edit

  • “jam”, in FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎[5] (in Albanian), 1980, pages 734–735

Baba Malay Edit

Etymology Edit

From Malay jam, from Sanskrit याम (yāma).

Noun Edit

jam

  1. hour
  2. time

Further reading Edit

Chinese Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

From English jam.

Pronunciation Edit

Verb Edit

jam

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to jam (to play music)
Derived terms Edit

References Edit

Etymology 2 Edit

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation Edit

Verb Edit

jam

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, university slang) to steal; to take without asking
Synonyms Edit

Related terms Edit

  • 占 (zim1, zem1, “jam”)

Czech Edit

Etymology Edit

Borrowed from Portuguese inhame or Spanish iñame, both likely of West African origin.

Noun Edit

jam m inan

  1. yam (any Dioscorea vine)

Declension Edit

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Dutch Edit

Etymology Edit

Borrowed from English jam.

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

jam m (plural jams, diminutive jammetje n)

  1. (chiefly Netherlands) jam (congealed sweet mixture of conserved fruits)

Synonyms Edit

Derived terms Edit

Descendants Edit

  • → Caribbean Javanese: sèm

Esperanto Edit

Etymology Edit

Borrowed from Latin iam.

Pronunciation Edit

Adverb Edit

jam

  1. already, prior to some time
    Ŝi jam nutris la bestojn. ― She already fed the animals.

Fula Edit

Noun Edit

jam o

  1. (Pulaar, Maasina) peace

References Edit

Garo Edit

Etymology Edit

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun Edit

jam

  1. granary, storehouse

Highland Popoluca Edit

Noun Edit

jam

  1. lime

References Edit

  • Elson, Benjamin F.; Gutiérrez G., Donaciano (1999) Diccionario popoluca de la Sierra, Veracruz (Serie de vocabularios y diccionarios indígenas “Mariano Silva y Aceves”; 41)‎[6] (in Spanish), Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, A.C., →ISBN, page 74

Indonesian Edit

Etymology Edit

From Malay jam, from Sanskrit याम (yāma, “time”).

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): [ˈd͡ʒam]
  • Hyphenation: jam

Noun Edit

jam (first-person possessive jamku, second-person possessive jammu, third-person possessive jamnya)

  1. hour (Time period of sixty minutes)
  2. clock (instrument to measure or keep track of time)
  3. (colloquial) time, particular moment or hour; the appropriate moment or hour for something
    Synonyms: pukul, saat, waktu

Derived terms Edit

Further reading Edit

Interlingua Edit

Adverb Edit

jam (not comparable)

  1. already

Javanese Edit

Etymology Edit

Ultimately from Sanskrit याम (yāma)

Noun Edit

jam

  1. hour
  2. clock

Latgalian Edit

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈjam/
  • Hyphenation: jam

Pronoun Edit

jam

  1. dative singular of jis
    Es jam atsaceju par reizi. ― I replied to him right away.
    Jam daguoja laistīs paceli nu sātys. ― He had to leave his home.
    Vys jam nazkas natai. ― He's never satisfied. (literally, “It's never good enough for him.”)

References Edit

  • Nicole Nau (2011) A short grammar of Latgalian, München: LINCOM GmbH, →ISBN, page 37

Latin Edit

Adverb Edit

jam (not comparable)

  1. Alternative form of iam

References Edit

Lindu Edit

Noun Edit

jam

  1. time
  2. hour
  3. clock

Lithuanian Edit

Pronoun Edit

jam m

  1. third-person singular dative of jis
    • 2007, Jurga (Jurga Šeduikytė), Angelai
      Jo balti sparnai man tinka
      Jam savo šarvus dovanoju
      His white wings suit me
      I present to him my armor

Malay Edit

Etymology Edit

From Sanskrit याम (yāma, “time”).

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

jam (Jawi spelling جم‎, plural jam-jam, informal 1st possessive jamku, 2nd possessive jammu, 3rd possessive jamnya)

  1. hour (Time period of sixty minutes)
  2. clock (instrument to measure or keep track of time)

Derived terms Edit

Affixed terms and other derivations

Regular affixed derivations:

Descendants Edit

Further reading Edit

North Frisian Edit

Etymology Edit

From Old Frisian jī. Cognate with West Frisian jimme.

Pronoun Edit

jam

  1. you (plural)
  2. your (plural)

Polish Edit

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): /jam/
  • Rhymes: -am
  • Syllabification: jam

Noun Edit

jam f

  1. genitive plural of jama

Pronoun Edit

jam

  1. (informal, sometimes proscribed) Combined form of ja + -m

Further reading Edit

  • jam in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Slovene Edit

Noun Edit

jam

  1. genitive dual/plural of jama

Spanish Edit

Noun Edit

jam m (plural jams or jam)

  1. jam (music session)

Swedish Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

jam n

  1. meow (sound of a cat)
    Synonym: (more common) mjau

Declension Edit

Declension of jam 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative jam jamet jam jamen
Genitive jams jamets jams jamens

Related terms Edit

Anagrams Edit

Waigali Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

jam

  1. metal water pot

Welsh Edit

Etymology Edit

From English jam.

Pronunciation Edit

Noun Edit

jam m (plural jamiau, not mutable)

  1. jam
    Synonym: cyffaith

Further reading Edit

  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “jam”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

West Frisian Edit

Etymology Edit

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun Edit

jam c (plural jams)

  1. jam, fruit preserves

Alternative forms Edit

Further reading Edit

  • “jam (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011
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