verb / noun
jam
To block free movement by pressing things tightly together.
The drawer jams when too many clothes are packed inside.
Etymology
Jam developed around the idea of pressing or wedging things tightly together. The obstruction sense names the resulting loss of free movement; the deeper origin is uncertain.
More examples
- He jammed the suitcase into the overhead bin.
- A traffic jam keeps us from reaching the exit.
- Missing the last bus left us in a jam.
- The device jams radio signals.
Forms
jam · jams · jammed · jamming