# jam

/ˈdʒæm/ (US) · /dʒˈæm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/jam
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. fruit spread

noun · CEFR A2

a sweet food made by boiling fruit with sugar, usually eaten on bread.

For teachers: a preserve made from whole fruit or pieces of fruit boiled with sugar until it reaches a gel-like consistency.

- He spread some strawberry jam on his toast before leaving for work.
- The artisanal bakery specializes in small-batch apricot jam made from locally sourced organic fruit.

### 2. traffic or blockage

noun · CEFR A2

a situation where a lot of people or vehicles are stuck and cannot move.

For teachers: a state of congestion or immobilization, particularly within a transport network or mechanical system.

- We were late for the wedding because of a massive traffic jam on the highway.
- A paper jam in the industrial printer halted production for three hours while technicians disassembled the feeding mechanism.

### 3. difficult situation

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a difficult or embarrassing situation that is hard to get out of.

For teachers: a predicament or difficult situation requiring cleverness or luck to resolve.

- I'm in a bit of a jam because I forgot my wallet at home.
- The diplomat found himself in a political jam when his private comments were leaked to the international press.

### 4. music session

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

an informal time when musicians play together without practicing first.

For teachers: an informal, often impromptu musical performance or rehearsal characterized by improvisation.

- The band had a great jam in the garage last night.
- What started as a quiet acoustic jam evolved into a three-hour experimental set involving several guest artists from the local jazz scene.

### 6. to squeeze or push

verb · CEFR B1

to push something into a small space with force.

For teachers: to force or wedge something into a confined space; to cram.

- He tried to jam all his clothes into one small suitcase.
- Commuters attempted to jam themselves into the crowded train carriage before the doors slid shut.

### 7. to become stuck

verb · CEFR B1

to become stuck so that it cannot move or work properly.

For teachers: to become wedged or stuck, rendering a mechanism or object immobile.

- The key jammed in the lock and I couldn't turn it.
- The machine's gears jammed after a small piece of debris fell into the internal housing during the night shift.

### 8. to block a signal

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to stop a radio or phone signal from working by using another signal.

For teachers: to make a radio or radar signal unintelligible by transmitting a stronger signal on the same frequency.

- The rebels tried to jam the government's radio broadcasts.
- Sophisticated electronic warfare units were deployed to jam enemy communications during the initial phase of the operation.

### 9. to play music informally

verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to play music with other people in an informal way, often making it up as you go.

For teachers: to participate in an improvised musical session, typically without a written score.

- We spent the whole afternoon jamming in the basement.
- The guitarists spent the evening jamming over a simple blues progression, testing out new pedals and amplifiers.

## Examples

- I like to put strawberry jam on my toast.
- She bought a jar of homemade raspberry jam from the local farmers' market to serve with scones.
- The high sugar content in traditional jam acts as a natural preservative, inhibiting the growth of bacteria and extending the shelf life of the fruit.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.