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ajar

1
[ uh-jahr ]
/ əˈdʒɑr /
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adjective, adverb
neither entirely open nor entirely shut; partly open: The door was ajar.
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Origin of ajar

1
1350–1400; Middle English on char on the turn; see a-1, char3

Other definitions for ajar (2 of 2)

ajar2
[ uh-jahr ]
/ əˈdʒɑr /

adverb, adjective
in contradiction to; at variance with: a story ajar with the facts.

Origin of ajar

2
1545–55; for at jar at discord; cf. jar3 (noun)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ajar in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ajar (1 of 2)

ajar1
/ (əˈdʒɑː) /

adjective, adverb (postpositive)
(esp of a door or window) slightly open

Word Origin for ajar

C18: altered form of obsolete on char, literally: on the turn; char, from Old English cierran to turn

British Dictionary definitions for ajar (2 of 2)

ajar2
/ (əˈdʒɑː) /

adjective
(postpositive) not in harmony

Word Origin for ajar

C19: altered form of at jar at discord. See jar ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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