jam

jam¹ [dʒæm] n

↑butter, ↑jam

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1¦(food)¦

2¦(cars/people)¦

3¦(machine)¦

4¦(difficult situation)¦

5¦(music)¦

6 kick out the jams

7 jam tomorrow

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1.) ¦(FOOD)¦ [U and C]

a thick sweet substance made from boiled fruit and sugar, eaten especially on bread

→↑jelly

▪ strawberry jam

▪ a jam sandwich

▪ jam jars

2.) ¦(CARS/PEOPLE)¦

a situation in which it is difficult or impossible to move because there are so many cars or people

▪ Sorry we're late. We got stuck in a traffic jam.

3.) ¦(MACHINE)¦

a situation in which a machine does not work because something is stopping a part from moving

▪ It caused a jam in the printer.

4.) ¦(DIFFICULT SITUATION)¦ [C usually singular] informal

a difficult situation

(be/get) in/out of/into a jam

▪ We became friends after he helped me out of a jam.

5.) ¦(MUSIC)¦

a) a ↑jam session

b) a song or piece of music, especially one by a ↑rap or ↑rock group

6.) kick out the jams

AmE informal to play ↑rock music loudly and with a lot of energy or emotion

▪ Make no mistake - these guys know how to kick out the jams.

7.) jam tomorrow

BrE informal good things someone promises you, which never happen

▪ There is an element of 'jam tomorrow' about some of the government's policies.

jam ²

jam² v past tense and past participle jammed present participle jamming

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1¦(push hard)¦

2¦(machine)¦

3¦(block)¦

4¦(music)¦

5 jam on the brakes

6 jam somebody's/the switchboard

7¦(radio)¦

8 somebody is jamming

Phrasal verbs

　jam out

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[Date: 1700-1800; Origin: Perhaps copying the action]

1.) ¦(PUSH HARD)¦ [T always + adverb/preposition]

to push something somewhere using a lot of force, until it can move no further

▪ He jammed his foot on the accelerator and the car sped off.

▪ A chair had been jammed up against the door.

2.) ¦(MACHINE)¦ [I and T]

also jam up

if a moving part of something jams, or if you jam it, it no longer works properly because something is preventing it from moving

▪ The front roller has jammed on the photocopier.

3.) ¦(BLOCK)¦ [I and T]

also jam up

if a lot of people or vehicles jam a place, they fill it so that it is difficult to move

= ↑cram

▪ Crowds jammed the entrance to the stadium.

jam into

▪ They all jammed into the car.

→↑jammed

4.) ¦(MUSIC)¦

[i]also jam out

to play music in an informal way with other people

→↑jam session

5.) jam on the brakes

to slow down a car suddenly by putting your foot down hard on the ↑brake

6.) jam sb's/the switchboard

if telephone calls jam the switchboard of an organization, so many people are phoning the organization that it cannot deal with them all

▪ Viewers jammed the switchboard with complaints.

7.) ¦(RADIO)¦ [T]

to deliberately prevent broadcasts or other electronic signals from being received, by broadcasting signals on the same ↑wavelength

8.) sb is jamming

AmE spoken used to say that someone is doing something very quickly or well

jam out phr v

to dance to music