| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| jam1 |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  j m |
| VERB: | Inflected forms: jammed, jam·ming, jams
| | TRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To drive or wedge forcibly into a tight position: jammed the cork in the bottle. 2. To activate or apply (a brake) suddenly. Often used with on: jammed the brakes on. 3. To cause (moving parts, for example) to lock into an unworkable position: jammed the typewriter keys. 4a. To pack (items, for example) to excess; cram: jammed my clothes into the suitcase. b. To fill (a container or space) to overflowing: I jammed the suitcase with clothes. Fans jammed the hallway after the concert. 5. To block, congest, or clog: a drain that was jammed by debris. 6. To crush or bruise: jam a finger. 7. Electronics To interfere with or prevent the clear reception of (broadcast signals) by electronic means. 8. Baseball To throw an inside pitch to (a batter), especially to prevent the batter from hitting the ball with the thicker part of the bat. | | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To become wedged or stuck. 2. To become inoperable: The computer keyboard jammed. 3. To force one's way into or through a limited space. 4. Music To participate in a jam session. 5. Basketball To make a dunk shot. | | NOUN: | 1. The act of jamming or the condition of being jammed. 2. A crush or congestion of people or things in a limited space: a traffic jam. 3. A trying situation. See synonyms at predicament. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Origin unknown. | | OTHER FORMS: | jam ma·ble —ADJECTIVE
jammer —NOUN
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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