jammable
|jam-ma-ble|
🇺🇸
/ˈdʒæməbl/
🇬🇧
/ˈdʒæməb(ə)l/
(jam)
blockage or sweet spread
Etymology
'jammable' is formed in modern English by adding the suffix '-able' to the verb 'jam', meaning 'able to be jammed.'
'jam' as a verb appears in English by the 17th–18th century (from an imitative or uncertain origin) meaning 'to squeeze, to become stuck or to cause to stick'; the productive suffix '-able' (from Latin '-abilis' via Old French) has long been used in English to form adjectives. Combined, these produced the adjective 'jammable' in modern usage.
Initially, 'jam' primarily denoted physical squeezing or becoming stuck; over time related senses extended to blocking, clogging, and later to signal/communication interference — 'jammable' therefore came to mean 'able to be physically or electronically blocked/disrupted.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
capable of being physically jammed, blocked, or clogged (e.g., machinery, printers, or moving parts).
The old vending machine is very jammable; coins and snacks often get stuck inside.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 2
susceptible to electronic or signal jamming or interference (e.g., radio, radar, or communications systems).
Certain wireless devices are highly jammable in crowded RF environments.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/01 15:33