jam
verb/dʒæm/
/dʒæm/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they jam | /dʒæm/ /dʒæm/ |
| he / she / it jams | /dʒæmz/ /dʒæmz/ |
| past simple jammed | /dʒæmd/ /dʒæmd/ |
| past participle jammed | /dʒæmd/ /dʒæmd/ |
| -ing form jamming | /ˈdʒæmɪŋ/ /ˈdʒæmɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] jam something + adv./prep. to push something somewhere with a lot of force
- He jammed his fingers in his ears.
- A stool had been jammed against the door.
- [intransitive, transitive] to become unable to move or work; to make something do this
- jam (up) The photocopier keeps jamming up.
- jam something (up) There's a loose part that keeps jamming the mechanism.
- + adj. The valve has jammed shut.
- jam something + adj. He jammed the door open with a piece of wood.
- The traffic was jammed solid in the city centre.
- [transitive, usually passive, intransitive] to put somebody/something into a small space where there is very little room to move synonym squash, squeeze
- be jammed + adv./prep. Six of us were jammed into one small car.
- We were jammed together like sardines in a can.
- The cupboards were jammed full of old newspapers.
- + adv./prep. Nearly 1 000 students jammed into the hall.
Extra Examples- The room is jammed tight with furniture.
- The airport was jammed with people trying to arrange flights.
- The streets were completely jammed with traffic.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- constantly
- up
- be jammed full (of something)
- be jammed solid
- be jammed tight with something
- …
- [transitive] jam something (up) (with somebody/something) to fill something with a large number of people or things so that it is unable to function as it should synonym block
- Viewers jammed the switchboard with complaints.
- The traffic will just jam up our village.
- People constantly jammed the street.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- constantly
- up
- be jammed full (of something)
- be jammed solid
- be jammed tight with something
- …
- [transitive] jam something (specialist) to send out radio signals to prevent a radio broadcast from being heard, or to prevent a radio or phone from sending or receiving signalsTopics TV, radio and newsc2
- [intransitive, transitive] jam (something) to play music with other musicians in an informal way without preparing or practising firstTopics Musicc2
push with force
stop moving/working
put into small space
fill with people/things
radio broadcast
play music
Word Originverb early 18th cent.: probably symbolic; compare with cram.
Idioms
See jam in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryjam on the brake(s) | jam the brake(s) on
- to operate the brakes on a vehicle suddenly and with force
- The car skidded as he jammed on the brakes.
Check pronunciation:
jam