jar

¹ American  

[jahr] / dʒɑr /

noun

1. a broad-mouthed container, usually cylindrical and of glass or earthenware.

   a cookie jar.

2. the quantity such a container can or does hold.

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jar ² American  

[jahr] / dʒɑr /

verb (used without object)

jarred, jarring

1. to have a harshly unpleasant or perturbing effect on one's nerves, feelings, thoughts, etc..

   The sound of the alarm jarred.

2. to produce a harsh, grating sound; sound discordantly.

3. to vibrate audibly; rattle.

   The window jarred in the frame.

4. to vibrate or shake.

5. to conflict, clash, or disagree.

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verb (used with object)

jarred, jarring

1. to cause to rattle or shake.

2. to have a sudden and unpleasant effect upon (the feelings, nerves, etc.).

   The burglary violently jarred their sense of security.

3. to cause to sound harshly or discordantly.

noun

1. a jolt or shake; a vibrating movement, as from concussion.

2. a sudden unpleasant effect upon the mind or feelings; shock.

3. a harsh, grating sound.

4. a discordant sound or combination of sounds.

5. a quarrel or disagreement, especially a minor one.

jar ³ American  

[jahr] / dʒɑr /

noun

1. a turn or turning.

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idioms

1. on the jar, partly opened; ajar.

   The window was on the jar.

jar ¹ British  

/ dʒɑː /

verb

1. to vibrate or cause to vibrate

2. to make or cause to make a harsh discordant sound

3. (often foll by on) to have a disturbing or painful effect (on the nerves, mind, etc)

4. (intr) to disagree; clash

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noun

1. a jolt or shock

2. a harsh discordant sound

jar ² British  

/ dʒɑː /

noun

1. a wide-mouthed container that is usually cylindrical, made of glass or earthenware, and without handles

2. Also: jarful.  the contents or quantity contained in a jar

3. informal a glass of alcoholic drink, esp beer

   to have a jar with someone

4. obsolete a measure of electrical capacitance

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jar ³ British  

/ dʒɑː /

noun

1. (of a door) slightly open; ajar

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Other Word Forms

• jarless
  adjective
• jarring
  adjective
• jarringly
  adverb
• unjarred
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of jar¹

First recorded in 1585–95; Middle English jarre “liquid measure smaller than a barrel,” possibly from Old French jarre, from Spanish or Portuguese jarra, jarro “a jar, pitcher,” or from Medieval Latin jarra, from Old Provençal jarra, from Arabic jarrah “earthen water vessel”

Origin of jar²

First recorded in 1520–30; probably imitative; cf. chirr

Origin of jar³

First recorded in 1665–75; variant of char ³; cf. ajar ²

Explanation

A jar is a smooth-sided, round container that's often made of glass. Jars are useful for storing food, from rice to tea bags to cookies. A wide-mouth jar made of pottery might hold Oreos, and a small, short jar could contain homemade jam. When you put something in a jar, you jar it. Another way to use the verb version of jar is to mean "shock painfully or unpleasantly:" "Every bump we drove over in the old Jeep would jar my whole body." The jar that's a container probably stems from the Middle French jarre, "liquid measure."

Example Sentences

The contaminated water then went through coagulation and filtration using a Jar Test system, which mimics water treatment processes on a small scale.

From Science Daily • Apr. 20, 2026

Jar Jar was, of course, the duck-billed breakout star, sorta, of 1999’s “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2025

"They are the reason the Honesty Jar continues to thrive," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2025

This man loved "Star Wars" well into his 20s . . . until Lucas brought Jar Jar Binks and the Gungans into his orbit.

From Salon • May 25, 2024

She reads all the time—in the halls, in the cafeteria— mostly novels with angsty protagonists: The Virgin Suicides, Catcher in the Rye, The Bell Jar.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Related Words

• basin
• bottle
• can
• flask
• jug
• pot
• urn
• vase
• vessel