jamb

noun

ˈjam 

1

: an upright piece or surface forming the side of an opening (as for a door, window, or fireplace)

2

: a projecting columnar part or mass

Examples of jamb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adding a hinge shim moves the opposite side of the door toward the jamb, while removing one pulls it away from the jamb. —Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 May 2025

Install inexpensive felt or foam weatherstripping on the door stop on the sides and top of the door jamb. —Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2025

Darby, who has worked the restrictive housing unit where Kevin is confined, mentions Kevin’s habit of urinating through the narrow gap between his cell door and the door jamb. —Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2025

The box, which fits over a door jamb, contains a homeowner’s key that is only accessible by the fire department. —Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English jambe, borrowed from Anglo-French jambe, gaunbe "side post of a door or window," literally, "leg," going back to Late Latin gamba, camba "hock or upper leg of a horse," borrowed from Greek kampḗ "bend, curve, flexion of a limb," probably going back to a European substratal base *kamp-, whence also perhaps Lithuanian kam̃pas "corner, hidden place," Latvian kampis "curved piece of wood, kettle hook," Germanic *hamfa-, whence Old Saxon hāf "lame (of hand), crippled," gihāfid "paralyzed, crippled," Old High German hamf "having a useless hand, lame," Gothic hamfs "maimed"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for jamb

• am
• bam
• cham
• clam
• damme
• damn
• dram
• flam
• fram
• gram
• ham
• jam

Kids Definition

jamb

noun

ˈjam 

: an upright piece forming the side of an opening (as of a door)