jar

English

Pronunciation

An ancient Greek amphora, a type of jar (sense 1)^{[n 1]}

Lidded pharmacy jar with the personifications of Fortuna (sense 1), from 1579, made of maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)

Pickled vegetables in jars (sense 2) for sale in Istanbul, Turkey

• enPR: jär
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dʒɑː/, or IPA^(key): /dʒaː/,
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɑɹ/,
  • (General Australian) IPA^(key): /dʒɐː/,

  • Audio (GA)

    (file)

  • Audio (AU)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)

Etymology 1

From Middle English jarre (“jar”), from Medieval Latin jarra, or from Middle French jarre (“liquid measure”) (from Old French jare; modern French jarre (“earthenware jar”)), or from Spanish jarra, jarro (“jug, pitcher; mug, stein”), all from Arabic جَرَّة (jarra, “earthen receptacle”).

The word is cognate with Italian giara (“jar; crock”), Occitan jarro, Portuguese jarra, jarro (“jug; ewer, pitcher”).

The verb is derived from the noun.

Noun

jar (plural jars)

1. (originally) An earthenware container, either with two or no handles, for holding oil, water, wine, etc., or used for burial.
   • 17th century?, “There’s Whiskey in the Jar”, in Colm O Lochlainn, compiler, Irish Street Ballads: Collected and Annotated , New York, N.Y.: Corinth Books, published 1960, →OCLC, page 24:

     As I was going over the far fam'd Kerry mountain / I met with Captain Farrell [a]nd his money he was counting, / I first produced my pistol and I then produced my rapier, / Sayin', "Stand and deliver for you are my bold deceiver,["] / O, Whack fol the diddle, / O, Whack fol the diddle, / O, There's whiskey in the jar / O, Whack fol the diddle, / O, Whack fol the diddle, / O, There's whiskey in the jar.

   • 1848, Leigh Hunt, “Introduction. A Blue Jar from Sicily, and a Brass Jar from the ‘Arabian Nights;’ and What Came Out of Each.”, in A Jar of Honey from Mount Hybla, London: Smith, Elder, and Co., , →OCLC, page 3:

     [A] certain fisherman, after throwing his nets to no purpose, and beginning to be in despair, succeeded in catching a jar of brass. […] But presently there came out of the jar a vapour, and it rose up towards the heavens, and reached along the face of the earth; and after this, the vapour reached its height, and condensed, and became compact, and waved tremulously, and became an Ufreet (evil spirit), […]

   • 1914, W[illiam] M[atthew] Flinders Petrie, “The Valley Cemetery”, in Tarkhan II (British School of Archaeology in Egypt and Egyptian Research Account: Nineteenth Year, 1913; XXV), London: School of Archaeology in Egypt, University College, and Bernard Quaritch, , →OCLC, page 2, column 2:

     The first view shows the body in the grave, looking southwards; the stack of offering jars lies outside of a little court for offerings which is seen beyond them. Below this is a nearer view of the grave alone. Here is skeleton is in place, an alabaster bowl lies between the face and the knees, and a slate palette over that. Five jars stand around the body.

   • 2008, Judith A. Neiswander, “Individuality and Eclectic Internationalism”, in The Cosmopolitan Interior: Liberalism and the British Home 1870–1914, New Haven, Conn., London: Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art by Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 46:

     Lucy Orrinsmith praised the charms of green glazed vases from the Aures mountains and Tunisian coarse clay and terracotta jars.

3. A small, approximately cylindrical container, normally made of clay or glass, for holding fruit, preserves, etc., or for ornamental purposes.

   Synonyms: cruse, pot

   • 1855, “On Physics, or Natural Philosophy. No. LIX. Effects Produced by the Accumulation of both Electricities.”, in , editor, The Popular Educator, volume VI, London: John Cassell, , →OCLC, page 507, column 1:

     The Leyden jar is charged, like the condenser of Œpinus and the fulminating square, by making one of the armatures communicate with the earth and the other with the electric source.

   • 1865 March 14, G. K. Geyelin, “The Laws of Nature: In Relation to Poultry Keeping from a Commercial Point of View”, in George W. Johnson, Robert Hogg, editors, The Journal of Horticulture, Cottage Gardener, and Country Gentleman. , volume VIII, number 207 (New Series; volume XXXIII, issue 859 (Old Series)), London: Published for the proprietors, , →OCLC, page 219, column 2:

     These important deficiencies in air-tight jars for preserving eggs have led me to invent a jar purposely for egg preserving, and which jar is not only perfectly air-tight, but it will show at a glance whether it is so, and how long it remains so, by means of its patent pneumatic self-indicating cap.

4. A jar and its contents; as much as fills such a container; a jarful.
   • 1911 November 21, William A[rthur] Bone, “Surface Combustion in a Boiler”, in Power: Devoted to the Generation and Transmission of Power, volume 34, number 21, New York, N.Y.: Hill Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 767, column 3:

     A smaller plate was immersed, while the combustion was in active operation, in a glass jar of carbonic acid gas without any diminution of the incandescence of its surface, showing that the combustion is independent of the atmosphere in which takes place.

   • 2010 July 27, Christina Perri (lyrics and music), “Jar of Hearts”, in Lovestrong:

     Who do you think you are? / Runnin' 'round leaving scars / Collecting your jar of hearts / And tearing love apart

5. (British, Ireland, colloquial) A pint glass
6. (British, Ireland, colloquial, metonymically) A glass of beer or cider, served by the pint.
   • 2013 March 15, “The Shopping Trolley” (track 10), in Horsing Around‎, performed by Richie Kavanagh:

     About a shopping trolley, I thought I'd let ye know. Ya'd try to push it straight but it never seems ta go. Ya'd wobble through the car park, hopping off the cars. Anyone would think ya had a few auld jars.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

• jorum (possibly related)

Translations

Verb

jar (third-person singular simple present jars, present participle jarring, simple past and past participle jarred)

1. (transitive) To preserve (food) in a jar.

   Synonym: bottle

   • 2014, Bridget Heos, “Getting Started”, in Jarring and Canning: Make Your Own Jams, Jellies, Pickles, and More (Urban Gardening and Farming for Teens), New York, N.Y.: Rosen Publishing, →ISBN, page 17:

     It's important to consider the safety of jarring food. Eating food that has been spoiled because it wasn't jarred properly correctly can result in the disease botulism.

Translations

Etymology 2

From earlier jar, jur, jarre, jurre, of uncertain origin. Possibly from earlier *char, *chur, *charre, *churre (now spelt chirr, churr (“to make a sound”); compare also nightjar and its variant nightchurr), from Middle English *chirren, *cherren, *churren (“to sound, cry, murmur, complain”), from Old English ċeorian (“to murmur, gripe, complain with just cause”), from Proto-West Germanic *karēn (“to complain”). For the change of ch to j, compare also charm, jarm (“chirping”); achar, ajar (“slightly turned or open”), chaw, jaw, etc. The noun is derived from the verb.

Noun

jar (countable and uncountable, plural jars)

1. (countable) A clashing or discordant set of sounds, particularly with a quivering or vibrating quality.
2. (countable, also figuratively) A quivering or vibrating movement or sensation resulting from something being shaken or struck.

   Synonym: jolt

   • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     [...] yet (good-deed) Leontes,
     I loue thee not a Iarre o'th' Clock, behind
     What Lady she her Lord. You'le stay?
     

   • 1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, “Closing In”, in Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, , published 1853, →OCLC, page 468:

     Through the stir and motion of the commoner streets; through the roar and jar of many vehicles, many feet, many voices; with the blazing shop-lights lighting him on, the west wind blowing him on, and the crowd pressing him on; he is pitilessly urged upon his way, and nothing meets him, murmuring, "Don't go home!"

   • 1908, G[ilbert] K[eith] Chesterton, The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare, Bristol: J W Arrowsmith, ; London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Company, →OCLC, page 258:

     The next instant the automobile had come with a catastrophic jar against an iron object.

3. (countable, by extension) A sense of alarm or dismay.
4. (countable) The effect of something contradictory or discordant; a clash.
   • 1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, volume 1, London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., page 29:

     Besides the jar of contrast there came to her a chill self-reproach that she had not returned sooner, to help her mother in these domesticities, instead of indulging herself out-of-doors.

5. (countable, now rare) A disagreement, a dispute, a quarrel; (uncountable) contention, discord; quarrelling.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 26, page 212:

     So loue does raine / In ſtouteſt minds, and maketh monſtrous warre; / He maketh warre, he maketh peace againe, / And yett his peace is but continuall iarre: / O miſerable men, that to him ſubject arre.

   • 1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: Richard Field, , →OCLC; 2nd edition, London: Richard Field, , 1594, →OCLC, [verse 17], lines :

     I haue beene wooed, as I intreat thee now, / Euen by the ſterne, and direfull God of warre, / VVhoſe ſinowie necke in battel nere did bow, / VVho conquers where he comes in euery iarre; […]

   • 1624, Richard Pots, William Tankard, G. P., William Simons, compiler, “Chapter XII. The Arrivall of the Third Supply.”, in John Smith, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: , London: I D and I H for Michael Sparkes, →OCLC, book 3; reprinted in The Generall Historie of Virginia, (Bibliotheca Americana), Cleveland, Oh.: The World Publishing Company, 1966, →OCLC, page 89:

     To redreſſe thoſe jarres and ill proceedings, the Treaſurer, Councell, and Company of Virginia, not finding that returne, and profit they expected; and them ingaged there, not having meanes to ſubſiſt of themſelues, made meanes to his Maieſtie, to call in their Commiſſion, […]

   • 1718, [Daniel Defoe], A Vindication of the Press: Or, An Essay on the Usefulness of Writing, on Criticism, and the Qualification of Authors. , London: Printed for T. Warner, , →OCLC, page 7:

     But of late the populace of France are not so perfectly enclouded with Superſtition, and if a young Author can pretend to Divine, I think it is eaſy to foreſee that the papal Power will in a very ſhort ſpace be conſiderably leſſen’d if not in a great meaſure diſregarded in that Kingdom, by the inteſtine Jarrs and Diſcords of their Parties for Religion, and the Deſultory Judgments of the moſt conſiderable Prelates.

Translations

Translations

Translations

Translations

Verb

jar (third-person singular simple present jars, present participle jarring, simple past and past participle jarred)

1. (transitive) To knock, shake, or strike sharply, especially causing a quivering or vibrating movement.

   He hit it with a hammer, hoping he could jar it loose.

   • 1850 April 24, “Discussion on Railway Axes, and on the Structural Changes which Iron is Supposed to Undergo from Vibration and Concussion. ”, in J[oseph] C[linton] Robertson, editor, The Mechanics’ Magazine, Museum, Register, Journal, and Gazette, volume LII, number 1397, London: Robertson and Co., Mechanics’ Magazine Office, , published 18 May 1850, →OCLC, page 394, column 1:

     [T]he wrought iron arms of a fly-wheel were jarred loose in the cast iron rim, and broke off quite short from the rapid and continued violent shocks caused by the cam striking the helve, although the iron was of the toughest description originally.

   • 1868, W[illiam] Saunders, “ Report on the Fruit Crop in the Vicinity of London during 1868, with Remarks on Their Insect Enemies and Diseases”, in Sessional Papers. Second Session of the First Parliament of the Province of Ontario., volume I, part II, Toronto, Ont.: Hunter, Rose & Co. printers, →OCLC, page 199:

     The most reliable process [for removing curculios] is that of jarring the trees and collecting the insects on a cotton sheet spread under the tree. […] [I]n this manner a dozen or more of trees can be jarred and the results carefully collected in about fifteen or twenty minutes.

2. (transitive) To harm or injure by such action.
3. (transitive, figuratively) To shock or surprise.

   I think the accident jarred him, as he hasn’t got back in a car since.

5. (transitive, figuratively) To act in disagreement or opposition, to clash, to be at odds with; to interfere; to dispute, to quarrel.
   • 1595, Edmunde Spenser [i.e., Edmund Spenser], “[Amoretti.] Sonnet XLIIII”, in Amoretti and Epithalamion. , London: [Peter Short] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC; reprinted in Amoretti and Epithalamion (The Noel Douglas Replicas), London: Noel Douglas , 1927, →OCLC:

     When thoſe renoumed noble Peres of Greece, / thrugh ſtubborn pride amongſt theſelues did iar / forgetfull of the famous golden fleece, / then Orpheus with his harp theyr ſtrife did bar.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC:

     For Orders and Degrees / Jarr not with liberty, but well conſiſt.

6. (transitive, intransitive) To (cause something to) give forth a rudely tremulous or quivering sound; to (cause something to) sound discordantly or harshly.

   The clashing notes jarred on my ears.

   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies.  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 126, column 1:

     How irkſome is this Muſick to my heart? / When ſuch Strings iarre, what hope of Harmony?

   • 1680, Horace, translated by Earl of Roscommon [i.e., Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon], Horace’s Art of Poetry. , London: Henry Herringman , →OCLC, page 24:

     Be not too rigidly Cenſorious, / A ſtring may jarr in the beſt Maſters hand, / And the moſt skilfull Archer miſs his aim; / But in a Poem elegantly writ, / I will not quarrel with a ſlight miſtake, / Such as our Natures frailty may excuſe; [...]

7. (intransitive) To quiver or vibrate due to being shaken or struck.
8. (intransitive, figuratively) Of the appearance, form, style, etc., of people and things: to look strangely different; to stand out awkwardly from its surroundings; to be incongruent.

Derived terms

• jarring (adjective)
• jarry
• jarsome

Translations

Notes

References

Further reading

• jar on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• JRA, Raj, ajr, raj

Blagar

Noun

jar

1. water

References

• Antoinette Schapper, The Papuan Languages of Timor, Alor and Pantar: Volume 1 (2014), p. 177

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

jar

1. genitive plural of jaro

North Frisian

Pronoun

jar

1. them
2. their

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

jar m (definite singular jaren, indefinite plural jarer, definite plural jarene)

1. form removed with the spelling reform of 2005; superseded by jare

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

jar m (definite singular jaren, indefinite plural jarar, definite plural jarane)

1. alternative form of jare

Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *jār.

Noun

jār n

1. year

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: jâer
  • Dutch: jaar
    • Afrikaans: jaar
    • Berbice Creole Dutch: jari
    • Jersey Dutch: jâr
    • Negerhollands: jaer, jaar, yer
    • → Aukan: yali
    • → Sranan Tongo: yari
      • → Caribbean Javanese: yari
      • → Saramaccan: jáa
  • Limburgish: jaor
  • West Flemish: joar
  • Zealandic: jaer, jaor

Further reading

• “jār”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old Frisian

Noun

jār n

1. Alternative form of jēr (“year”)

Inflection

Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *jār, from Proto-Germanic *jērą, from Proto-Indo-European *yeh₁-.

Noun

jār n

1. year

Derived terms

• hiuro, hiuri
  • Middle High German: hiure
    • Cimbrian: hôar
    • German: heuer

Descendants

• Middle High German: jār
  • Alemannic German: Jòòr, Jààr
  • Bavarian: Jåhr

    Cimbrian: jaar, djar

    Mòcheno: jor

  • Central Franconian: Johr

    Hunsrik: Joher

    Luxembourgish: Joer

  • German: Jahr
  • Rhine Franconian:

    Pennsylvania German: Johr, Yaahr

  • Swabian: Joar, Johr

    Sathmar Swabian: Johr

  • Vilamovian: jür
  • Yiddish: יאָר (yor)

Old Saxon

Alternative forms

• gēr

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *jār, from Proto-Germanic *jērą, from Proto-Indo-European *yeh₁-.

Noun

jār n

1. year

Declension

Descendants

• Middle Low German: jâr, jaer
  • German Low German: Jåhr, Jahr, Johr
  • Plautdietsch: Joa

Polish

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:

jar

Wikipedia ^pl

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jar/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ar
• Syllabification: jar

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *jarъ.

Noun

jar m inan

1. (archaic) spring (season)

Declension

Related terms

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Ukrainian яр (jar), from a Turkic language.

Noun

jar m inan

1. canyon, ravine

Declension

Related terms

Further reading

• jar in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• jar in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Church Slavonic жаръ (žarŭ), from Proto-Slavic *žarъ.

Noun

jar n (plural jaruri)

1. burning coals
2. intense heat, fire, glow

   Synonyms: arșiță, dogoare, căldură mare

Declension

Derived terms

• jariște

See also

• cărbune
• foc

Semai

Etymology

From Proto-Mon-Khmer *ɟarʔ (“quick; to run”).

Verb

jar

1. to run

Derived terms

• jerjar
• je'nar

See also

• deeq (“to run away”)

References

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *jarъ (“spring”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jâːr/

Noun

jȃr m (Cyrillic spelling ја̑р)

1. (archaic, Croatia) spring
2. swelter, intense heat (also figuratively)

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:jar.

Slovak

Slovak Wikipedia has an article on:

jar

Wikipedia ^sk

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *jarь. Cognate with Serbo-Croatian јар/jar, dialectal Bulgarian and Russian яра (jara). Non-Slavic cognates include Gothic 𐌾𐌴𐍂 (jēr, “year”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

jar f (genitive singular jari, nominative plural jari, genitive plural jarí, declension pattern of kosť)

1. spring (season)

   Synonym: (literary) vesna

Declension

Derived terms

• jarný

See also

• (seasons) ročné obdobie; jar, leto, jeseň, zima ^{(Category: sk:Seasons)}

Further reading

• “jar”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2024

Somali

Verb

jar

1. to cut

Sumerian

Romanization

jar

1. Romanization of 𒃻 (g̃ar)

Tarifit

Preposition

jar (Tifinagh spelling ⵊⴰⵔ)

1. between, among

   jar ubrid d yeɣzar

   Between the road and the river.

Tz'utujil

Alternative forms

• ja

Article

jar

1. the