jam

jam1 [ dʒæm ] noun *

▸ 1 sweet sticky food

▸ 2 line of stopped vehicles

▸ 3 blockage in machine

▸ 4 difficult situation

▸ 5 music

1. ) count or uncount a sweet sticky food made from boiled fruit and sugar, that is usually spread onto bread:

strawberry jam

a jar of jam

2. ) count a long line of vehicles that are not moving or are moving very slowly: TRAFFIC JAM

3. ) count an occasion when a machine does not work because something prevents its parts from moving:

a paper jam in the printer

4. ) count usually singular a difficult situation

5. ) count INFORMAL a JAM SESSION

jam

jam 2 [ dʒæm ] verb *

▸ 1 put in small space

▸ 2 difficult to move

▸ 3 block movement

▸ 4 about telephone system

▸ 5 block electronic signal

▸ 6 injure by squeezing

▸ 7 make music in group

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) transitive to put too many people or things into a small space:

jam someone/something into something: Kirsten was trying to jam all the papers into her bag.

Four men were jammed into the back of the car.

a ) to push someone or something tightly or into a small space using a lot of force:

jam someone/something into/on/against something: Marilyn jammed the hat firmly on her head and went out.

Mick jammed a copy of the report into my hand.

2. ) transitive often passive if people or things jam a place, there are so many of them that it is difficult to move:

Thousands jammed the area to see the Pope.

jam something with something: The streets were jammed with cars.

3. ) jam or jam up intransitive if a machine, lock, window, etc. jams, it does not work because something stops it from moving:

He fired one shot before his gun jammed.

a ) transitive to block something so that it stops working or moving:

A small stone had jammed the pump.

4. ) intransitive or transitive if a telephone system jams or is jammed, it stops working because too many people are making calls at the same time:

Only a few minutes after the program, the switchboard was jammed with complaints.

5. ) transitive to block a radio, television, or other electronic signal by broadcasting another signal on the same WAVELENGTH

6. ) transitive to injure part of your body because it gets pressed or squeezed between two hard things:

The window suddenly dropped down and jammed her finger.

a ) to injure part of your body by hitting it hard against something

7. ) intransitive INFORMAL to play music in an informal way with a group of people

jam something down someone's throat

to tell someone something so many times that they cannot hear it again without getting upset or bored

jam something open/shut

to make a door or window stay open or shut by putting something under it

,jam `on phrasal verb transitive

jam on the brakes/jam the brakes on

to put your foot very suddenly and hard on the BRAKE of a vehicle because you want to stop quickly

,jam `up phrasal verb intransitive or transitive

same as JAM 2 3:

A crumpled sheet had jammed up the whole photocopier.