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Pinch vs Jam - What's the difference?

pinch | jam | Related terms |

In lang=en terms the difference between pinch and jam

is that pinch is to arrest or capture while jam is a kind of frock for children.

In nautical terms the difference between pinch and jam

is that pinch is to sail so close-hauled that the sails begin to flutter while jam is to bring (a vessel) so close to the wind that half her upper sails are laid aback.

As verbs the difference between pinch and jam

is that pinch is to squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt while jam is to get something stuck in a confined space.

As nouns the difference between pinch and jam

is that pinch is the action of squeezing a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt while jam is a sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar and allowed to congeal. Often spread on bread or toast or used in jam tarts.

pinch

English

Verb

(es)
  • To squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt.
  • The children were scolded for pinching each other.
    This shoe pinches my foot.
  • To steal, usually of something almost trivial or inconsequential.
  • Someone has pinched my handkerchief!
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=May 13 , author=Alistair Magowan , title=Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Then, as the Sunderland fans' cheers bellowed around the stadium, United's title bid was over when it became apparent City had pinched a last-gasp winner to seal their first title in 44 years.}}
  • (slang) To arrest or capture.
  • (horticulture) To cut shoots]] or [[bud, buds of a plant in order to shape the plant, or to improve its yield.
  • (nautical) To sail so close-hauled that the sails begin to flutter.
  • (hunting) To take hold; to grip, as a dog does.
  • (obsolete) To be niggardly or covetous.
  • (Gower)
  • * Franklin
  • the wretch whom avarice bids to pinch and spare
  • To seize; to grip; to bite; said of animals.
  • * Chapman
  • He [the hound] pinched and pulled her down.
  • (figurative) To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to starve.
  • to be pinched for money
  • * Sir Walter Raleigh
  • want of room pinching a whole nation
  • To move, as a railroad car, by prying the wheels with a pinch.
  • Noun

    (es)
  • The action of squeezing a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt.
  • A small amount of powder or granules, such that the amount could be held between fingertip and thumb tip.
  • An awkward situation of some kind (especially money or social) which is difficult to escape.
  • * 1955 , edition, ISBN 0553249592, page 171:
  • It took nerve and muscle both to carry the body out and down the stairs to the lower hall, but he damn well had to get it out of his place and away from his door, and any of those four could have done it in a pinch', and it sure was a ' pinch .
  • An organic herbal smoke additive.
  • Derived terms

    * feel the pinch * in a pinch * at a pinch * pinchy * take with a pinch of salt

    Descendants

    * Japanese: (pinchi)

    jam

    English

    , a type of jam, spread on a piece of bread

    Etymology 1

    Noun

  • A sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar and allowed to congeal. Often spread on bread or toast or used in jam tarts.
  • (countable) A difficult situation.
  • I’m in a jam right now. Can you help me out?
  • * 1975 , (Bob Dylan), (Tangled Up in Blue)
  • She was married when we first met
    Soon to be divorced
    I helped her out of a jam , I guess
    But I used a little too much force.
  • (countable) Blockage, congestion.
  • A traffic jam caused us to miss the game's first period.
    a jam of logs in a river
  • An informal, impromptu performance or rehearsal.
  • (countable, baseball) A difficult situation for a pitcher or defending team.
  • He's in a jam now, having walked the bases loaded with the cleanup hitter coming to bat.
  • (countable, basketball) A forceful dunk.
  • (countable, roller derby) A play during which points can be scored.
  • Toughie scored four points in that jam .
  • (climbing, countable) Any of several maneuvers requiring wedging of an extremity into a tight space.
  • I used a whole series of fist and foot jams in that crack.
  • (UK) luck.
  • He's got more jam than Waitrose.
  • (mining)
  • Synonyms
    * (sweet mixture of fruit) conserve, (US) jelly, preserve * See also
    Derived terms
    * jamjar * jammy * jam band * jam roly poly * jam sandwich * jam session * jam tart * jam tomorrow * log jam * Murrumbidgee jam * pearl jam * power jam * toe jam * traffic jam * want jam on it * climbing: ** hand jam ** finger jam ** fist jam ** foot jam ** pinkie jam ** ring jam ** thumb-down jam
    See also
    * jelly * marmalade

    Verb

    (jamm)
  • To get something stuck in a confined space.
  • My foot got jammed in a gap between the rocks.
    Her poor little baby toe got jammed in the door.
    I jammed the top knuckle of my ring finger.
  • To brusquely force something into a space; cram, squeeze.
  • They temporarily stopped the gas tank leak by jamming a piece of taffy into the hole.
    The rush-hour train was jammed with commuters.
  • To cause congestion or blockage. Often used with "up"
  • A single accident can jam the roads for hours.
  • To block or confuse a broadcast signal.
  • (baseball) To throw a pitch at or near the batter's hands.
  • Jones was jammed by the pitch.
  • (music) To play music (especially improvisation as a group, or an informal unrehearsed session).
  • To injure a finger or toe by sudden compression of the digit's tip.
  • When he tripped on the step he jammed his toe.
  • (roller derby) To attempt to score points.
  • Toughie jammed four times in the second period.
  • (nautical) To bring (a vessel) so close to the wind that half her upper sails are laid aback.
  • Synonyms
    * ram
    Derived terms
    * (to squeeze into a small space) jam-pack * jammer

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) or (etyl), meaning "garment, robe"; related to pajamas.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (dated) A kind of frock for children.
  • English ergative verbs ----