jams

¹

[jamz]

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. Informal.,  pajamas.

Jams

²

[jamz]

Trademark.

1. a brand of baggy, brightly patterned, knee-length swim trunks.

Word History and Origins

Origin of jams¹

First recorded in 1965–70; by shortening

Example Sentences

Mr. Taylor began playing in jam sessions led by saxophonist Fred Anderson, and the drummer, Mr. Abrams and saxophonist Matana Roberts launched Sticks and Stones, a superb trio that hosted jams in the city.

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Where other players flew in for jams, Paul found ways to compensate for his lack of size.

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The planet's strong gravitational pull generated ripples throughout the disk, creating what they describe as "cosmic traffic jams" that kept small particles from falling into the sun.

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But I wasn’t so worried because Howard had gotten us out of so many jams on so many seasons in our “Homeland” years.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But to spend less than $1,000, I knew this strategy wouldn’t work, since ride-shares, especially with the surge pricing that traffic jams trigger, would devour my budget.

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Related Words

• bikini 
• swimsuit 

When To Use

What does jams mean?

Jams is a very informal word for pajamas—the clothes you wear to sleep in.The word jammies means the same thing but is more common. Terms like jammies, jams, and jam-jams are typically used by children, adults speaking to children, or people using childish words to be silly. A more common synonym for pajamas is p.j.’s, which is informal but not as informal as jammies.You could say that whatever clothes children change into before going to bed are their jams. Traditionally, though, the word refers to clothes that were specifically made and sold for sleeping in, typically consisting of soft, loose-fitting pants or shorts and a (sometimes matching) top.When adults use the words jams or jammies to refer to what they’re wearing, it’s usually to refer to clothes worn for sleeping, but not always. People sometimes use such terms to refer to the clothes they wear to lounge in, especially before bed, though the terms p.j.’s and pajamas are more likely to be used this way. In all cases, the word jams is used very informally.The word jams is also the plural of the noun jam or a present-tense version of the verb jam, both of which have many meanings.Example: OK, kids, time for bed—go brush your teeth and change into your dinosaur jams.