jar
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Earthenware container, either; also, clashing or discordant set.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
jahrIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈdʒɑɹ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
originally
An earthenware container, either with two or no handles, for holding oil, water, wine, etc., or used for burial.
A small, approximately cylindrical container, normally made of clay or glass, for holding fruit, preserves, etc., or for ornamental purposes.
countable
A clashing or discordant set of sounds, particularly with a quivering or vibrating quality.
countablealso figuratively
A quivering or vibrating movement or sensation resulting from something being shaken or struck.
countable
The effect of something contradictory or discordant; a clash.
A container and its contents; as much as fills such a container; a jarful.
verb
transitive
To preserve (food) in a jar.
transitive
To knock, shake, or strike sharply, especially causing a quivering or vibrating movement.
Shock physically
transitivefiguratively
To shock or surprise.
transitivefiguratively
To act in disagreement or opposition, to clash, to be at odds with; to interfere; to dispute, to quarrel.
intransitive
To quiver or vibrate due to being shaken or struck.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (originally) An earthenware container, either with two or no handles, for holding oil, water, wine, etc., or used for burial.
Used this way, jar is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use jar
- “Please pass me the jar of homemade strawberry jam.”
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Collide violently with an obstacle.
An electrostatic capacitor of historical interest.
An electrostatic capacitor of historical interest.
A glass jar with an air-tight screw top.
A large pail used to receive waste water from a washbasin or chamber pot.
A bell-shaped glass cover used to protect and display delicate objects or to cover scientific apparatus or to contain gases.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.