jar

jar — noun

1. A container made of glass or baked clay. It has a broad mouth that opens wide an

1.nounB1
Definition

A container made of glass or baked clay. It has a broad mouth that opens wide and a tight-fitting lid that screws or snaps on. People keep foods like jam, honey, pickles, or sauce in jars to stop them from going bad.

Example

Ritu opened a jar of strawberry jam to spread on her toast.

a jar of [food] — counting by container

The old clay jar on the shelf held dried beans and lentils.

Common collocations
  • glass jar
  • clay jar
  • jar with a lid
  • seal a jar
  • open a jar
  • sterilised jar
Synonyms
  • pot

    usually made of earthenware and wider than a jar; used for plants, food storage

  • can

    made of metal; sealed airtight, common for drinks and canned vegetables

  • container

    a general word for anything that holds something; not specific to glass or shape

Grammar Patterns

a jar of [food]

Usage Note

When you refer to the container alone, use 'a jar' as a countable noun. To talk about the contents, use 'a jar of …' (see next sense).

Common Mistakes

I put the jam in a bottle.
I put the jam in a jar.
Bottles have narrow necks; jars have wide openings for scooping.

2. The amount of something that fills one jar. You use 'a jar of' plus a food or dr

2.nounB1
Definition

The amount of something that fills one jar. You use 'a jar of' plus a food or drink to say how much you need or have used.

Example

The recipe calls for a full jar of tomato sauce.

Sari bought two jars of baby food at the market yesterday.

countable: two jars of [food]

Common collocations
  • a jar of honey
  • a jar of jam
  • a jar of pickles
  • half a jar of
  • a full jar of
Synonyms
  • pot

    used similarly for quantity: 'a pot of yogurt' but implies a wider, shorter shape

  • tin

    a metal container; British English uses 'tin of tomatoes' where American English uses 'can'

Grammar Patterns

a jar of [food/drink]

Usage Note

The grammar pattern is always 'a jar of [something]' — the noun after 'of' specifies what is inside. This sense is only used when measuring or referring to the quantity, not when describing the container's material or shape.

3. An informal British term for an alcoholic drink served in a pub, most often a pi

3.nounB2
Definition

An informal British term for an alcoholic drink served in a pub, most often a pint of beer shared with friends during a social outing after work or on a night out.

Example

The group of colleagues stopped at the pub for a quick jar after work.

Karim said he was heading out for a jar with his old university friends.

informal: 'for a jar' = for a drink

Common collocations
  • for a jar
  • a quick jar
  • a jar of ale
  • fancy a jar?
Synonyms
  • pint

    a specific measure (568 ml); the most common word for beer in British pubs

  • beer

    more general and neutral; 'jar' is more colloquial

Usage Note

Very common in British informal speech but rare in American English. The word 'jar' here does not refer to the actual container — the beer is served in a pint glass, not a jar. Often used in the fixed phrase 'a jar' without specifying the type of beer.

4. A sudden, hard movement or shock that you feel when something hits, bumps, or st

4.nounB2
Definition

A sudden, hard movement or shock that you feel when something hits, bumps, or stops abruptly — like the jolt you experience when a bus brakes too quickly or a heavy door slams shut.

Example

The bus stopped suddenly, and Talia felt a sharp jar in her neck.

Every time the heavy train passed, the old house gave a small jar.

collocation: give a jar

Common collocations
  • a sharp jar
  • feel a jar
  • give a jar
  • the jar of impact
Synonyms
  • jolt

    very similar meaning; 'jolt' can also describe an emotional surprise while 'jar' is primarily physical

  • shock

    broader; can be physical, emotional, or electrical

  • bump

    softer and less violent; a bump may be expected while a jar is usually surprising

Usage Note

This sense is usually singular. It describes the physical sensation of a sudden impact, not an emotional shock. The related verb 'jar' (sense 1) describes the action that produces this effect.

jar — verb

Word family

  • jarring
    adjectiveC1
  • jarringly
    adverbC1
  • ajar
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe containers, but they differ in material, shape, and use. A jar is made of glass or clay with a wide opening and a screw-on or snap-on lid, typically used for jam, honey, or pickles. A pot is wider and shorter, usually made of earthenware or metal, and used for cooking, plants, or food storage (a flower pot, a pot of yogurt). A can (American English) or tin (British English) is made of thin metal, sealed airtight, and opened with a can opener; it holds drinks, soup, or preserved vegetables. A bottle has a narrow neck and is made of glass or plastic, used for liquids like water, oil, or sauce. For example, you put honey in a jar but olive oil in a bottle; you open a can of soda but screw the lid off a jar of pickles.

jar ↗pot ↗can ↗bottle ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a jar of
  • seal a jar
  • open a jar
  • store in a jar

Prepositions

  • in a jar
  • into a jar
  • from a jar
  • out of a jar

Etymology

PersianArabicFrenchEnglish

The word 'jar' entered English around the 1400s from Old French 'jarre', which came from Arabic 'jarrah' (large earthenware vessel for water). The Arabic word itself likely came from Persian 'garrā' (a water pot). The earliest English uses referred to clay pots for storing liquids. The verb sense 'to shake suddenly' developed later in the 1500s, probably from the idea of a heavy jar being set down roughly, causing a jolt — though some scholars trace it to a different Old English root meaning 'to creak or grate'. The informal British 'jar' for a glass of beer appeared in the 1800s, originally referring to a ceramic beer mug.