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Ham vs. Jam: What's the Difference?

Ham and Jam Definitions

Ham

The thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especially a hog.

Jam

To drive or wedge forcibly into a tight position
Jammed the cork in the bottle.

Ham

A cut of meat from the thigh of a hog, often cured by salting or smoking.

Jam

To activate or apply (a brake) suddenly. Often used with on
Jammed the brakes on.

Ham

The back of the knee.
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Jam

To cause to become unworkable because a part is stuck
The wrinkled paper jammed the copying machine.

Ham

The back of the thigh.

Jam

To cause (moving parts, for example) to lock into an unworkable position
Jammed the typewriter keys.

Ham

Hams The buttocks.

Jam

To pack (items, for example) to excess; cram
Jammed my clothes into the suitcase.
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Ham

A performer who overacts or exaggerates.

Jam

To fill (a container or space) to overflowing
I jammed the suitcase with clothes. Fans jammed the hallway after the concert.

Ham

A licensed amateur radio operator.

Jam

To block, congest, or clog
A drain that was jammed by debris.

Ham

To exaggerate or overdo a dramatic role; overact.

Jam

To crush or bruise
Jam a finger.

Ham

To exaggerate or overdo (a dramatic role, for example).

Jam

(Electronics) To interfere with or prevent the clear reception of (broadcast signals) by electronic means.

Ham

(anatomy) The region back of the knee joint; the popliteal space; the hock.

Jam

(Baseball) To throw an inside pitch to (a batter), especially to prevent the batter from hitting the ball with the thicker part of the bat.

Ham

(countable) A thigh and buttock of an animal slaughtered for meat.

Jam

To become wedged or stuck
The coin jammed in the slot.

Ham

(uncountable) Meat from the thigh of a hog cured for food.
A little piece of ham for the cat

Jam

To become locked or stuck in an unworkable position
The computer keyboard jammed.

Ham

The back of the thigh.

Jam

To force one's way into or through a limited space
We all jammed into the elevator.

Ham

Electronic mail that is wanted; mail that is not spam or junk mail.

Jam

(Music) To participate in a jam session.

Ham

Obsolete form of home

Jam

(Basketball) To make a dunk shot.

Ham

(acting) An overacting or amateurish performer; an actor with an especially showy or exaggerated style.

Jam

The act of jamming or the condition of being jammed.

Ham

(radio) An amateur radio operator.

Jam

A crush or congestion of people or things in a limited space
A traffic jam.

Ham

(acting) To overact; to act with exaggerated emotions.

Jam

A trying situation.

Ham

Home.

Jam

See jam session.

Ham

The region back of the knee joint; the popliteal space; the hock.

Jam

A preserve made from whole fruit boiled to a pulp with sugar.

Ham

The thigh of any animal; especially, the thigh of a hog cured by salting and smoking.
A plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams.

Jam

A sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar and allowed to congeal. Often spread on bread or toast or used in jam tarts.

Ham

A person who performs in a showy or exaggerated style; - used especially of actors. Also used attributively, as, a ham actor.

Jam

(countable) A difficult situation.

Ham

The licensed operator of an amateur radio station.

Jam

(countable) A blockage, congestion, or immobilization.
A traffic jam caused us to miss the game's first period.
A jam of logs in a river

Ham

To act with exaggerated voice and gestures; to overact.

Jam

An informal, impromptu performance or rehearsal.

Ham

Meat cut from the thigh of a hog (usually smoked)

Jam

A song; a track.

Ham

(Old Testament) son of Noah

Jam

An informal event where people brainstorm and collaborate on projects.
We came up with some new ideas at the game jam.

Ham

A licensed amateur radio operator

Jam

That which one particularly prefers, desires, enjoys, or cares about.
Teaching is my jam.

Ham

An unskilled actor who overacts

Jam

A difficult situation for a pitcher or defending team.
The pitcher's in a jam now, having walked the bases loaded with the cleanup hitter coming to bat.

Ham

Exaggerate one's acting

Jam

A forceful dunk.

Jam

A play during which points can be scored.
Toughie scored four points in that jam.

Jam

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.

Jam

(AU) The tree Acacia acuminata, with fruity-smelling hard timber.

Jam

Luck.
He's got more jam than Waitrose.

Jam

Balls, bollocks, courage, machismo
I don't think he has the jam.

Jam

(slang) Sexual relations or the contemplation of them.

Jam

(dated) A kind of frock for children.

Jam

To get something stuck, often (though not necessarily) 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.

Jam

To brusquely force something into a space; to cram, to 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.

Jam

To render something unable to move.

Jam

To cause congestion or blockage. Often used with "up".
A single accident can jam the roads for hours.

Jam

To block or confuse a radio or radar signal by transmitting a more-powerful signal on the same frequency.
The government jams foreign propaganda broadcasts.
The airstrike suffered minimal casualties because electronic-warfare aircraft were jamming the enemy air-defense radars.

Jam

(baseball) To throw a pitch at or near the batter's hands.
Jones was jammed by the pitch.

Jam

(basketball) To dunk.

Jam

(music) To play music (especially improvisation as a group, or an informal unrehearsed session).

Jam

To injure a finger or toe by sudden compression of the digit's tip.
When he tripped on the step he jammed his toe.

Jam

(roller derby) To attempt to score points.
Toughie jammed four times in the second period.

Jam

To bring (a vessel) so close to the wind that half her upper sails are laid aback.

Jam

To give up on a date or some other joint endeavour; to stand up, chicken out, jam out.

Jam

A kind of frock for children.

Jam

See Jamb.

Jam

A mass of people or objects crowded together; also, the pressure from a crowd; a crush; as, a jam in a street; a jam of logs in a river.

Jam

An injury caused by jamming.

Jam

A difficult situation; as, he got himself into a jam.

Jam

A preserve of fruit boiled with sugar and water; also called jelly; as, raspberry jam; currant jam; grape jam.

Jam

To press into a close or tight position; to crowd; to squeeze; to wedge in; to cram; as, rock fans jammed the theater for the concert.
The ship . . . jammed in between two rocks.

Jam

To crush or bruise; as, to jam a finger in the crack of a door.

Jam

To bring (a vessel) so close to the wind that half her upper sails are laid aback.

Jam

To block or obstruct by packing too much (people or objects) into; as, shoppers jammed the aisles during the fire sale.

Jam

To interfere with (a radio signal) by sending other signals of the same or nearby frequency; as, the Soviets jammed Radio Free Europe broadcasts for years during the cold war.

Jam

To cause to become nonfunctional by putting something in that blocks the movement of a part or parts; as, he jammed the drawer by putting in too many loose papers; he jammed the lock by trying to pick it.

Jam

To become stuck so as not to function; as, the copier jammed again.

Jam

To play an instrument in a jam session.

Jam

To crowd together; - usually used with together or in; as, fifty people jammed into a conference room designed for twenty.

Jam

Preserve of crushed fruit

Jam

Informal terms for a difficult situation;
He got into a terrible fix
He made a muddle of his marriage

Jam

A dense crowd of people

Jam

Deliberate radiation or reflection of electromagnetic energy for the purpose of disrupting enemy use of electronic devices or systems

Jam

Press tightly together or cram;
The crowd packed the auditorium

Jam

Push down forcibly;
The driver jammed the brake pedal to the floor

Jam

Crush or bruise;
Jam a toe

Jam

Interfere with or prevent the reception of signals;
Jam the Voice of America
Block the signals emitted by this station

Jam

Get stuck and immobilized;
The mechanism jammed

Jam

Crowd or pack to capacity;
The theater was jampacked

Jam

Block passage through;
Obstruct the path

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