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

Part of Bristol's global visibility came from early "paint jams" where artists would descend on an area to cover it in murals and graffiti.

Read more on BBC

In the northern Danish city of Aalborg, the firm MyDefence makes equipment that jams and repels drones.

Read more on BBC

Jones and Corden explained that the idea was for the tape to play and just as viewers brace for the big reveal, the footage fuzzes out and jams.

Read more on BBC

The jams are mostly rock oldies, Lennon’s deeply ingrained repertory from the early Beatles days, and they offer a fly-on-the-wall glimpse of the more relaxed, private side of his music making.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The good news is that last month, the Federal Reserve entered rate- cutting mode, meaning that sooner or later these great traffic jams of consumer wealth could come unstuck.

Read more on Barron's

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.