jamb

noun

ˈjam 

1

: an upright piece or surface forming the side of an opening (as for a door, window, or fireplace)

2

: a projecting columnar part or mass

Examples of jamb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For the chest and shoulders, the main movement is moving the extended arm toward the midline, resisting the movement by placing the forearm of the bad arm against an immovable object like a door jamb. —Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 2 May 2024

Another dead roach lay in the door jamb of a kitchen chest freezer. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2024

If that didn't work, Arthur could grab a door jamb with one hand and the spinning block of bodies with the other hand, bringing the spinning to a sudden stop. —Eric Wolff, Discover Magazine, 9 Aug. 2010

Inside, the Platinum Black—naturally—has black Nirvana leather upholstery plus a plate in the door jamb denoting the special-edition series number. —Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, 24 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English jambe, borrowed from Anglo-French jambe, gaunbe "side post of a door or window," literally, "leg," going back to Late Latin gamba, camba "hock or upper leg of a horse," borrowed from Greek kampḗ "bend, curve, flexion of a limb," probably going back to a European substratal base *kamp-, whence also perhaps Lithuanian kam̃pas "corner, hidden place," Latvian kampis "curved piece of wood, kettle hook," Germanic *hamfa-, whence Old Saxon hāf "lame (of hand), crippled," gihāfid "paralyzed, crippled," Old High German hamf "having a useless hand, lame," Gothic hamfs "maimed"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

jamb

noun

ˈjam 

: an upright piece forming the side of an opening (as of a door)