: a food made by boiling fruit and sugar to a thick consistency
jammed; jamming
1
a
: to become blocked, wedged, or stuck fast
The line jammed and the boat hung useless.
b
: to become unworkable when a movable part becomes blocked or stuck
the gun jammed
2
: to force one's way into a restricted space
People continued to jam into the already crowded hall.
3
: to improvise on a musical instrument with a group : to take part in a jam session
musicians jamming together
4
basketball
: dunk sense 2
1
a
: to press into a close or tight position
jammed his hat on
b(1)
: to cause to become wedged or stuck so as to be unworkable
jam the typewriter keys
(2)
: to make (machinery) unworkable by becoming wedged or stuck
The paper jammed the printer.
c
: to block passage of : obstruct
traffic jammed by an accident
d
: to fill often to excess : pack
the crowd jammed the theater
2
: to push forcibly
jammed the shovel into the ground
especially
: to apply (brakes) suddenly and forcibly
—used with on
suddenly jammed on the brakes
3
: to cause (a part of the body) to be painfully crushed or squeezed
jammed his finger in the door
4
a
: to make unintelligible by sending out interfering signals or messages
jam a radio broadcast
b
: to make (a radar apparatus) ineffective by sending out interfering signals or by causing reflection of radar waves
trying to jam the enemy's radar
5
football
: to block, crowd, or bump (a pass receiver) near the line of scrimmage
The receiver got jammed at the line.
6
baseball
: to pitch inside to (a batter)
jammed him with a fastball
1
a
: a crowded mass that impedes or blocks movement
a traffic jam
b
: an act or instance of becoming blocked or jammed (see jam entry 2)
paper causing a jam of the copier
2
a
: the quality or state of being blocked, stopped, or jammed
the jam of the legislature caused by the piling up of new bills in the final days
b
: the pressure or congestion of a crowd : crush
a jam of people
3
: a difficult situation or state of affairs : fix
got into a jam
4
5
basketball
: dunk shot
6
slang
a
: a musical piece
Although Rodriguez claimed to know nothing about music, he seemed certain of one thing regarding Lopez's latest jam: "I knew it was going to be a smash the first time I heard it."—
Abby Jones
Abby Jones
especially
: one that is favored or preferred over others
Everyone has their song—or songs—they listen to when they are doing some kind of exercise. For Carrie Underwood, though, it sounds like her jam is whatever music she's just discovered. —Alison Bonaguro
Alison Bonaguro
b
: a favorite or much-loved item, subject, interest, activity, etc.
We think potatoes go with pretty much everything, and these are a straightforward classic that pairs beautifully with the brightly flavored, mustardy chicken. Leave out the oregano if you don't have it or if it's not your jam.—Margaux Laskey
Margaux LaskeyIn college, reading his [Robert F. Kennedy's] speeches—"that was my jam," she [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] said.—David Remnick
David Remnick… he loves to go grocery shopping at PCC, and his oldest son introduced him recently to New Seasons Market. Cooking—especially making salmon—is his jam.—Lisa Patterson
Lisa Patterson
Jamaica
Synonyms
Examples of jam in a Sentence
Verb
Thousands of people jammed into the hall.
People were jamming the exits after the concert.
He jammed the book back into the bookcase.
She jammed her foot down hard on the brakes.
She jammed on the brakes.
A piece of paper jammed the copy machine.
Noun (2)
thousands of cars trying to leave the stadium's parking lot at the same time are sure to create a jam
the heavy rain puts us in a real jam: all of the preparations are for a garden wedding
Recent Examples on the WebMikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Vegetables, fruits, baked goods, organic coffee, meats, jams, jellies, eggs, honey, BBQ sauce and rub, crafts and more.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 7 May 2024
Only on screen is anyone (or everyone) in a jam, at this noir fest, in other words.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 6 May 2024
Ladle hot jam into half-pint freezer containers, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2024
The good news is that creator Dave Filoni is currently developing a second season to explore how our heroines get out of their jam.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024
In this recipe adapted from his cookbook The Broad Fork, chef Hugh Acheson turns ramps into a simple jam thickened with powdered pectin.
—Hugh Acheson, Saveur, 3 May 2024
The southpaw worked out of an even trickier jam in the following inning.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024
Besides naming your company after a Grateful Dead album, what are your bona fides in the jam scene?
—Dave Brooks, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Kathleen Purvis, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024
Fans jammed one side of a parking lot overlooking the Bruins’ practice field.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Dee Bryant jams on the gas as her Mustang rockets forward toward a line of plastic bollards at the Irwindale Speedway.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 20 Apr. 2024
Seven bullets stayed in the magazine and 16 children were physically uninjured (though their mental scars from seeing the shooting may last a lifetime) because his weak pull on the trigger jammed the gun on the first shot, according to the grand jury report.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Additionally, drone manufacturers have access to more powerful video transmitters, up to 5 watts, which are more resistant to jamming.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024
The video stitches together shots of Dua laying down vocals, writing lyrics in a notebook and jamming out to inaudible beats.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Nin remembers rushing to the music room after school where Cooper would often jam with students.
—Hennessy Sepulveda, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
The path to the Vegas Sphere began in an incongruous place: the tie-dye-friendly campus of the University of Vermont, where Anastasio jammed with longtime bassist Mike Gordon and dress-wearing drummer Jon Fishman for the first time on Dec. 2, 1983, in a student dining hall.
—Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Noun
Yet even now nothing sounds quite like the Pixies’ most enduring tune: a haunted psychedelic-soul jam in which the ultra-reverbed backing vocals conjure the terrifying underwater expanse that singer Black Francis describes in his lyric.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Vegetables, fruits, baked goods, organic coffee, meats, jams, jellies, eggs, honey, BBQ sauce and rub, crafts and more.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 7 May 2024
Only on screen is anyone (or everyone) in a jam, at this noir fest, in other words.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 6 May 2024
Ladle hot jam into half-pint freezer containers, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace.
—Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2024
The good news is that creator Dave Filoni is currently developing a second season to explore how our heroines get out of their jam.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024
In this recipe adapted from his cookbook The Broad Fork, chef Hugh Acheson turns ramps into a simple jam thickened with powdered pectin.
—Hugh Acheson, Saveur, 3 May 2024
The southpaw worked out of an even trickier jam in the following inning.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024
Besides naming your company after a Grateful Dead album, what are your bona fides in the jam scene?
—Dave Brooks, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
Calling themselves the 7th Street Gator Band, a rotating roster of 12 regular musicians, along with occasional players who drop in to jam, plays every night and at brunch on Sunday.
—Kathleen Purvis, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024
Fans jammed one side of a parking lot overlooking the Bruins’ practice field.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Dee Bryant jams on the gas as her Mustang rockets forward toward a line of plastic bollards at the Irwindale Speedway.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 20 Apr. 2024
Seven bullets stayed in the magazine and 16 children were physically uninjured (though their mental scars from seeing the shooting may last a lifetime) because his weak pull on the trigger jammed the gun on the first shot, according to the grand jury report.
—Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Additionally, drone manufacturers have access to more powerful video transmitters, up to 5 watts, which are more resistant to jamming.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024
The video stitches together shots of Dua laying down vocals, writing lyrics in a notebook and jamming out to inaudible beats.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2024
Nin remembers rushing to the music room after school where Cooper would often jam with students.
—Hennessy Sepulveda, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
The path to the Vegas Sphere began in an incongruous place: the tie-dye-friendly campus of the University of Vermont, where Anastasio jammed with longtime bassist Mike Gordon and dress-wearing drummer Jon Fishman for the first time on Dec. 2, 1983, in a student dining hall.
—Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near jam
Cite this Entry
“Jam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jam. Accessed 13 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jam
1 of 3 verb
jammed; jamming
1
a
: to press or push into a close or tight position
jam a book into a bookcase
b
: to be or cause to be wedged so as to be unworkable
jam the typewriter keys
c
: to crowd into : pack
2000 people jammed the hall
2
: to push suddenly and with force
jam on the brakes
3
: to squeeze or crush painfully
jammed my finger in the door
4
: to make impossible to understand by sending out interfering signals or messages
jam a radio broadcast
5
: to take part in a jam session
jammer
noun
jam
2 of 3 noun1
a
: an act or instance of jamming
b
: a crowded mass that slows or prevents movement
traffic jam
2
: a difficult state of affairs
jam
3 of 3 noun
: a food made of fruit and sugar thickened by boiling
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