jam session
Americannoun
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Music.
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a meeting of a group of musicians, especially jazz musicians, to improvise, experiment, or play for their own enjoyment.
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an impromptu musical performance, especially of jazz.
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a special performance by musicians, especially jazz musicians, who do not regularly play together.
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an informal, freely collaborative meeting, conference, or discussion.
The event was a laid-back jam session for creatives to get together and network.
noun
Etymology
Origin of jam session
First recorded in 1930–35; perhaps jam 1, or shortening of jamboree
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Days before his viral jam session with Takaichi, he met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, with whom he took selfies on a Chinese smartphone.
From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026
From the beginning, her style has always been instinctual; a freeform jam session where she sits at the piano or with her guitar and just lets her ideas flow out.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2025
“On the Adamant” is like a jam session, too — a jumble of bright spots and tedious meanderings.
From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2024
Participants are encouraged to wear traditional regalia and bring their own instrument, such as a drum, rattle or flute, to join the jam session.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 9, 2023
Allegedly originating during a jam session for the album, Cave co-wrote the song with Mick Harvey.
From Salon • May 18, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
