Part 424

Jam, n. 1. A mass of people or objects crowded together; also, the pressure from a crowd; a crush; as, a jam in a street; a jam of logs in a river.

2. An injury caused by jamming. [Colloq.]

Jam, n. [Prob. fr. jam, v.; but cf. also Ar. jamad ice, jelly, jmid congealed, jamd congelation, ice.] A preserve of fruit boiled with sugar and water; as, raspberry jam; currant jam; grape jam.

Jam nut. See Check nut, under Check. -- Jam weld (Forging), a butt weld. See under Butt.

||Jam`a*ci"na (?), n. [NL.] Jamaicine. || ||Jam"a*dar (?), n. Same as Jemidar. || Ja*mai"ca (?), n. One of the West India islands.

Jamaica ginger, a variety of ginger, called also white ginger, prepared in Jamaica from the best roots, which are deprived of their epidermis and dried separately. -- Jamaica pepper, allspice. -- Jamaica rose (Bot.), a West Indian melastomaceous shrub (Blakea trinervis), with showy pink flowers.

Ja*mai"can (?), a. Of or pertaining to Jamaica. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Jamaica.

Ja*ma"i*cine (?), n. [From Jamaica.] (Chem.) An alkaloid said to be contained in the bark of Geoffroya inermis, a leguminous tree growing in Jamaica and Surinam; -- called also jamacina. Watts.

Jamb (?), n. [Prov. E. jaumb, jaum, F. jambe a leg, jambe de force a principal rafter. See Gambol.]

1. (Arch) The vertical side of any opening, as a door or fireplace; hence, less properly, any narrow vertical surface of wall, as the of a chimney-breast or of a pier, as distinguished from its face. Gwilt.

2. (Mining) Any thick mass of rock which prevents miners from following the lode or vein.

Jamb (?), v. t. See Jam, v. t.

Jam*bee" (?), n. [See Jamb, n.: cf. OF. jamboier to walk.] A fashionable cane. [Obs.] Tatler.

{ Jambes (?), Jam"beux (?), } n. pl. [From F. jambe a leg: cf. OF. jambiere. See Jamb, n.] (Ancient Armor) In the Middle Ages, armor for the legs below the knees. [Written also giambeux.] Chaucer.

||Jam`bo*la"na (?), n. [Cf. Pg. jambolão a kind of tropical fruit.] ||(Bot.) A myrtaceous tree of the West Indies and tropical America ||(Calyptranthes Jambolana), with astringent bark, used for dyeing. It ||bears an edible fruit. || ||Jam"da*ni (?), n. A silk fabric, with a woven pattern of sprigs of ||flowers. [Written also jamdanee.] Balfour (Cyc. of India). || Ja"me*son*ite (?), n. [From Prof. Jameson, of Edinburgh.] (Min.) A steel-gray mineral, of metallic luster, commonly fibrous massive. It is a sulphide of antimony and lead, with a little iron.

James"'s pow`der (?). (Med.) Antimonial powder, first prepared by Dr. James, an English physician; -- called also fever powder.

James"town` weed` (?). (Bot.) The poisonous thorn apple or stramonium (Datura stramonium), a rank weed early noticed at Jamestown, Virginia. See Datura.

This name is often corrupted into jimson, jimpson, and gympsum.

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Jan (jn), n. [Ar.] (Moham. Myth.) One of an intermediate order between angels and men.

Jane (jn), n. [LL. Janua Genoa; L. Genua, also OE. Jean.] 1. A coin of Genoa; any small coin. Chaucer.

2. A kind of twilled cotton cloth. See Jean.

Jane"-of-apes" (?), n. A silly, pert girl; -- corresponding to jackanapes. Massinger.

Jan"gle (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Jangled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Jangling (?).] [OE. janglen to quarrel, OF. jangler to rail, quarrel; of Dutch or German origin; cf. D. jangelen, janken, to whimper, chide, brawl, quarrel.]

1. To sound harshly or discordantly, as bells out of tune.

2. To talk idly; to prate; to babble; to chatter; to gossip. "Thou janglest as a jay." Chaucer.

3. To quarrel in words; to altercate; to wrangle.

Good wits will be jangling; but, gentles, agree.