Meaning & use
jar
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Meanings
nouncountable
A round container, usually made of glass, with a wide opening and a lid, used for food.
Grammar: Countable: a jar, two jars, a jar of honey.
Patterns
- a jar of something
- an empty jar
- open a jar
She keeps honey in a glass jar.
We need two jars of tomato sauce for the recipe.
He filled the jar with coins.
nouncountable
The amount of something that a jar holds.
Grammar: Used like other container words: a jar of jam means the contents of one jar.
Patterns
- a jar of jam
- a jar of pickles
He ate a whole jar of olives.
Buy a jar of strawberry jam, please.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To hit something in a way that causes a sudden, unpleasant shake or shock.
Grammar: Can take an object (jar your knee) or be used without one (the impact jarred).
Patterns
- jar something
- jar on something
- the impact jarred
The fall jarred his shoulder badly.
The bus hit a hole and the whole seat jarred.
verbintransitive
To seem harsh, strange, or unpleasant because it does not fit the situation.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'with': the color jars with the walls.
Patterns
- jar with something
- jar on someone
- jar against something
His cheerful voice jarred with the sad news.
The bright modern chairs jar with the old wooden floor.
Word forms
| plural | jars |
|---|---|
| third person singular | jars |
| past tense | jarred |
| past participle | jarred |
| -ing form | jarring |
Common combinations
- a jar of honey
- There is a jar of honey in the cupboard.
- glass jar
- She reused a glass jar to store rice.
- jar on the nerves
- That constant noise jars on my nerves.
- jar with something
- The new sign jars with the historic building.
- mason jar
- He drank water from a mason jar.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pot
- A pot is a more general container word and may be made of many materials, while a jar is usually glass with a lid.
- container
- Container is the general term for anything that holds something; jar is a specific glass type.
- jolt
- As a verb, jolt means to move or shake suddenly and strongly, while jar suggests a sharper, more unpleasant shock.
Word family
Commonly confused: jar or jug? jar or jargon?
jar vs jug
A jug is a container with a handle and a pouring lip, used for liquids, while a jar usually has a wide mouth and a lid.
jar vs jargon
Jargon means special words used by a group; it sounds similar but has no connection to jar.
Practice
Choose the sentence where 'jar' is used correctly as a verb.
Choose one answer.
'Jar on' means to have a harsh, unpleasant effect, so option 2 is correct. Options 1, 3, and 4 all use 'jar' as a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “jar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.