Jam
/dΚΓ¦m/noun
A thick sweet spread made from fruit and sugar, or to force something tightly into a space.
Did you know?The food sense of *jam* is much later than the verb sense; the word first appears in English meaning to press or cram tightly, which is why it still carries the feeling of force and blockage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*yeug-
βto join, yoke togetherβ
Old French
OF
jambe
βlegβ
Middle English
English
jamben
βto press or cram tightlyβ
18th Century
English
jam
βto squeeze, crowd, or wedge tightlyβ
18th Century
English
jam
βa preserve made from crushed fruit and sugarβ
Modern English
English
jam
βa sweet fruit spread; to force or squeeze into a tight spaceβ