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Jam vs Yam - What's the difference?

jam | yam |

Yam is a synonym of jam.



As nouns the difference between jam and yam

is that 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 while yam is any climbing vine of the genus Dioscorea in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, usually cultivated.

As a verb jam

is to get something stuck in a confined space.

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 ----

    yam

    English

    (wikipedia yam)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) inhame and (etyl) . The term was coined in .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (botany) Any climbing vine of the genus Dioscorea in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, usually cultivated
  • The edible, starchy, tuberous root of that plant, a tropical staple food.
  • (US) A sweet potato; a tuber from the species Ipomoea batatas .
  • (Scotland) Potato.
  • Usage notes
    Careful use distinguishes yams (genus Dioscorea'') from sweet potatoes (''Ipomoea batatas ), while casual American use conflates these.
    Derived terms
    * Chinese yam * purple yam * wild yam * yamless

    Etymology 2

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (West Cumbria) home.
  • Anagrams

    * ----