jams
jams — noun
- jamssingular
- jamsesplural
1. a sweet spread for bread, made by boiling fruit with sugar until the mixture bec
a sweet spread for bread, made by boiling fruit with sugar until the mixture becomes thick and soft
Lucas spread strawberry jam on his toast every morning before school.
collocation: strawberry jam / spread jam on toast
Amelia baked a sponge cake with a thick layer of raspberry jam in the middle.
The children made jam sandwiches and packed them for the picnic.
collocation: jam sandwich
Karim's grandmother sent him a jar of homemade apricot jam from the village.
Eri bought three different flavours of jam at the weekend farmers' market.
- strawberry jam
- raspberry jam
- apricot jam
- homemade jam
- jam sandwich
- jar of jam
2. a long line of vehicles on a road that cannot move or can only crawl forward bec
a long line of vehicles on a road that cannot move or can only crawl forward because there are too many cars
Faisal was stuck in a traffic jam for nearly an hour on the motorway.
collocation: traffic jam / stuck in a jam
Wren left home before sunrise to avoid the morning jam on the ring road.
A serious jam on the bridge delayed the bus by forty minutes.
Piotr checked his phone for news of the jam before starting the engine.
There was a five-kilometre jam after the accident near the tunnel entrance.
- traffic jam
- stuck in a jam
- morning jam
- five-kilometre jam
- gridlock
a jam so bad that no vehicle can move at all
- congestion
more formal word for heavy traffic, often used in official reports
- tailback
British English; a long line of stationary or slow-moving traffic
- bottleneck
a jam caused by a narrow section of road
Common Mistakes
3. a problem where something gets stuck inside a machine and stops the parts from w
a problem where something gets stuck inside a machine and stops the parts from working properly
Sirin had to clear a paper jam from the office printer three separate times that morning.
collocation: paper jam / clear a jam
The photocopier stopped midway through the job because of a jam in the feeder tray.
Eri pulled the crumpled sheet out carefully so the jam would not get worse.
A coin jam in the vending machine meant nobody could buy a cold drink.
Andrés called a technician when he could not clear the jam inside the shredder.
- paper jam
- coin jam
- clear a jam
- jam in the printer
- blockage
more general; can refer to pipes, drains, or body passages as well as machines
- obstruction
formal; often used in technical or legal contexts
- clog
more often used for pipes and drains than for machines
Usage Note
Most often used with machines that handle paper, such as printers and photocopiers. The phrase 'paper jam' is the most common collocation.
4. a tricky problem or awkward spot that a person finds hard to get out of, used ma
a tricky problem or awkward spot that a person finds hard to get out of, used mainly in casual speech
Nkechi found herself in a jam when she lost her wallet on the last train home.
collocation: in a jam
Esteban asked his cousin for help getting out of a financial jam after the move.
collocation: get out of a jam
I am in a real jam — the report is due tomorrow and my laptop just crashed.
Lucas turned to his older sister when he got into a jam with his landlord.
The team was in a serious jam when its two best players were injured before the final.
- in a jam
- get out of a jam
- real jam
- financial jam
- predicament
formal equivalent; appropriate for writing and serious contexts
- fix
equally informal; often used in 'in a fix'
- pickle
old-fashioned informal British word for the same idea
- bind
informal; especially common in American English
Usage Note
Almost always used in the phrases 'in a jam' or 'get out of a jam.' Never used in formal writing; use 'predicament' or 'difficulty' instead.
5. a crowded situation in which so many people are packed into one place that there
a crowded situation in which so many people are packed into one place that there is hardly any room to move
Karim pushed through the jam of shoppers at the market entrance on Saturday.
collocation: a jam of + [people]
It was such a jam in the lift that Amelia could barely turn around.
Faisal took one look at the jam inside the café and decided to come back later.
There was a jam of excited fans at the stage door waiting for autographs.
Wren lost sight of her friends in the jam near the ticket counter.
- a jam of people
- a real jam inside
- jam of fans
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 2 (TRAFFIC): this sense describes crowds of people, not vehicles. Often used with 'a jam of' followed by a group noun.
6. an informal event where musicians gather to play together freely, trying out ide
an informal event where musicians gather to play together freely, trying out ideas without a fixed programme, usually in jazz or rock styles
Piotr brought his saxophone to the weekly jam at a club on the east side.
collocation: weekly jam / jam at a club
Sirin joined a blues jam at a tiny bar and played until two in the morning.
The guitarist and the drummer started a late-night jam once the main set ended.
collocation: late-night jam
Eri had never played in an open jam before and felt her hands shaking on stage.
Andrés met his future bandmates at a Sunday afternoon jam three years ago.
- jam session
- weekly jam
- blues jam
- open jam
- late-night jam
- jam session
the full form; clearer for people who are not musicians
- improv session
stresses the unplanned, creative aspect of the gathering
Usage Note
Short for 'jam session.' Common in music circles; the full form 'jam session' is more widely understood by general audiences.
jams — verb
- jamspresent simple I / you / we / they
- jamses3rd person singular
- jamsing-ing form
- jamsedpast simple
1. to get caught in a fixed position so that movement becomes impossible, or to cau
to get caught in a fixed position so that movement becomes impossible, or to cause something to lock up in this way
The old window jammed shut and Nkechi could not open it no matter how hard she pulled.
intransitive: jam + adjective (shut)
Esteban jammed the door wide open with a heavy chair while he moved the boxes in.
transitive: jam + object + adjective (open)
The key jammed halfway into the lock and Lucas had to call a locksmith.
Amelia's suitcase zip jammed when it was half closed, leaving her clothes spilling out.
Karim jammed the coin slot by pushing too many tokens in at once.
- jam shut
- jam open
- jam the door
- jam the lock
- jam halfway
Grammar Patterns
jam + adjective
jam + something + adjective
Usage Note
Frequently followed by an adjective (shut, open, stuck) when intransitive. Transitive use often takes an object plus adjective pattern. Subject is typically a mechanical part: door, window, lock, zip, printer.
Common Mistakes
2. to force an object into a tight or crowded space using strong pressure, often wh
to force an object into a tight or crowded space using strong pressure, often when there is barely enough room for it
Nkechi jammed all her clothes into the small suitcase and sat on it to zip it shut.
pattern: jam + object + into + container
Esteban quickly jammed the untidy papers under his desk before the client walked in.
Lucas jammed his feet into shoes that were at least a size too small for him.
Amelia jammed the last thick book onto the already crowded shelf with both hands.
Faisal jammed his woolly hat down over his ears to keep warm in the icy wind.
pattern: jam + object + down/on
- jam into
- jam under
- jam behind
- jam down
- jam onto
Grammar Patterns
jam + something + into/under/behind + something
Usage Note
Always transitive with a directional phrase (into, under, behind, onto, down). The object is something being forced into place, and the prepositional phrase tells you where it ends up.
3. to deliberately send out interference that blocks radio, phone, or other electro
to deliberately send out interference that blocks radio, phone, or other electronic signals so that they cannot be received clearly
The military jammed enemy radio communications throughout the night operation.
transitive: jam + [communication type]
Faisal's phone call was jammed by interference from a nearby transmission tower.
passive: be jammed by + [source]
Authorities tried to jam the pirate broadcasts coming from the unlicensed station.
Someone used a small device to jam the Wi-Fi signal inside the busy coffee shop.
Wren could not get a clear GPS reading because the satellite signal was being jammed.
- jam a signal
- jam communications
- jam radar
- jam broadcasts
- jam GPS
- block
more general; does not imply the use of electronic interference
- scramble
specifically means making a signal unintelligible by mixing it with noise
- interfere with
broader phrasal verb; can apply to non-electronic disruption as well
Grammar Patterns
jam + [signal type]
jam + [communication method]
Usage Note
Object is always a type of signal, broadcast, or communication. Frequently used in passive voice ('the signal was jammed'). Common in military and security contexts.
4. to make music together with other people in a relaxed and unplanned way, trying
to make music together with other people in a relaxed and unplanned way, trying out riffs and melodies without a set score or rehearsal
Piotr and his friends jammed in the garage every Saturday afternoon for hours.
intransitive: jam + [place]
Sirin jammed with a jazz trio at the summer festival and loved every minute.
pattern: jam with + [musicians]
The two guitarists jammed until sunrise, completely losing track of the time.
Eri built up her confidence by jamming with older, more experienced players at the club.
After the formal rehearsal ended, Andrés stayed behind to jam with the drummer.
- jam with friends
- jam in the garage
- jam together
- jam session
Grammar Patterns
jam + with + [musician]
jam + [preposition of place]
Usage Note
Always intransitive. Typical pattern is 'jam with [someone]' or 'jam [somewhere].' Originated in jazz culture and still carries an informal, creative feel.
Common Mistakes
5. to pack a place so completely full of people or things that there is no empty sp
to pack a place so completely full of people or things that there is no empty space left at all
The stadium was jammed with excited fans waiting hours for the concert to begin.
passive: be jammed with + [noun]
Karim could barely move his arms — the rush-hour train was jammed with tired commuters.
The tiny pub was jammed full on quiz night and nobody could find a seat.
collocation: jammed full
Piotr's email inbox was jammed with hundreds of unread messages after his holiday.
The narrow streets were jammed with market stalls and holiday shoppers on Sunday morning.
- jammed with
- jammed full
- jammed solid
Grammar Patterns
be jammed with + [people/things]
jam + place + full
Usage Note
Most often used in the passive form 'be jammed with.' The subject is the space being filled (a room, street, stadium), and the object of 'with' is what fills it. Note the fixed phrase 'jammed solid' for traffic.
Word family
- jamnounA2
- jamverbB2
- jammedadjectiveB2
- jam-packedadjectiveB2
- jam sessionnounB2
- jammernounC2
- jammingnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Jam is the everyday word for a sweet fruit spread eaten on bread. Preserve is more formal and usually has whole or large pieces of fruit suspended in syrup. Marmalade is always made from citrus fruit — most often oranges — and includes thin strips of peel that give it a slightly bitter taste; it is a breakfast staple in Britain. Conserve is chunkier and less sweet than jam, sometimes made with dried fruit and nuts, and often served with cheese. Jelly (in British English) is a clear, smooth spread made from fruit juice only, with no bits of fruit — it is what Americans typically call 'jam.' So: you spread jam on toast at breakfast, serve marmalade on a hotel buffet, give homemade preserve as a gift, pair conserve with cheese, and use jelly for a smooth, seedless cake filling.
Common collocations
Nouns
- traffic jam
- paper jam
- jam session
- logjam
Adverbs
Phrases
- in a jam
- get out of a jam
- jam-packed
- jammed solid
- jammed full
Etymology
The word 'jam' entered English in the early 18th century as a verb meaning 'to press or squeeze tightly.' Its origin is uncertain, but it may be related to an English dialect word 'cham' meaning 'to chew noisily' or 'to crush.' The fruit-preserve sense appeared by the 1730s, probably from the idea of fruit being crushed or pressed. The traffic sense emerged in the early 20th century, while the music sense — 'jam session' — arose in 1930s American jazz culture, likely from the notion of musicians 'pressing' together in improvisation.