Толковый словарь английского языка

an occasion when ↑jazz or ↑rock musicians play music together in an informal way

1. FOOD [uncountable and countable] 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 [countable] 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 [countable] 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 [countable 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 [countable]

a) a ↑jam session

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

6. kick out the jams American English 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 British English informal good things someone promises you, which never happen:

There is an element of ‘jam tomorrow’ about some of the government’s policies.

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

1. PUSH HARD [transitive 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 [intransitive and transitive] (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 [intransitive and transitive] (also jam up) if a lot of people or vehicles jam a place, they fill it so that it is difficult to move SYN cram:

Crowds jammed the entrance to the stadium.

jam into

They all jammed into the car. ⇨ ↑jammed(2)

4. MUSIC [intransitive] (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 [transitive] to deliberately prevent broadcasts or other electronic signals from being received, by broadcasting signals on the same ↑wavelength

8. somebody is jamming American English spoken used to say that someone is doing something very quickly or well

jam out phrasal verb

to dance to music