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

Strands of her hair were wedged along the driver-side door jamb, and the vehicle’s trunk had been popped open. — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Find the correct pressure listed on a sticker inside the driver’s door jamb — don’t rely on the number on the tire sidewall. — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 21 May 2026

The proper tire pressure for your vehicle can usually be found on a sticker on the driver's side door jamb or in the owner's manual. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026

Scrub gently around the door jambs, the threshold at the bottom of the frame, and the trim, following the grain for wood surfaces. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026

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)