Jar
/dʒɑr/
nounverbA2
Definition
As a noun, a jar is a glass or plastic container with a wide opening, often used to keep food like jam or pickles. As a verb, jar means to cause a sudden, usually unpleasant, shaking or surprise that can feel uncomfortable or shocking.
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See It in Action
Noun: A container with a wide mouth, often made of glass or plastic
- •She put the cookies in a jar on the counter.
- •The jar of honey was sticky and sweet.
- •He opened a jar of pickles for lunch.
Verb: To shake or cause a sudden unpleasant movement or feeling
- •The sudden stop jarred the passengers in the bus.
- •His words jarred me because they were unexpected.
- •The loud noise jarred the windows and scared the cat.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "jar" like a "box," but round and usually made of glass with a wide opening at the top.
- ✓Picture a clear container full of colorful jam sitting on a kitchen shelf.
- ✓It's the feeling when something shakes you suddenly, like a loud noise or a bump in a car.
- ✓Sounds like "jar" → imagine a "jar" shaking and making a rattling sound inside.
- ✓Remember the phrase "to jar someone" as if shaking a jar full of marbles, making a sudden noise that surprises you.
- ✓NOT like "bottle" which usually has a narrow neck; a jar has a wide mouth.
- ✓NOT like "shake" which is the action; "jar" as a verb means a sudden, sharp shake or shock, not a gentle movement.
- ✓As a noun, jar holds things safely; as a verb, jar causes a sudden movement or feeling.
Try Other Words
- •Container: a general word for something that holds things (Use when you don’t need to say it’s glass or has a wide mouth)
- •Pot: a round container, often for cooking or plants (Use when the container is not for storage of food)
- •Shock: sudden surprise or disturbance (Use when jar is used as a verb meaning to cause surprise or discomfort)
- •Shake: to move something quickly back and forth (Use when the movement is less sudden or less strong than "jar")
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "jar" is a simple root word without prefixes or suffixes
- •Etymology: From Old English "gearwe," meaning a container or vessel
- •Historical development: The word has been used since early English times to mean a container and later also to mean a sudden shaking or shock
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe kitchen containers and sudden shocks or movements
Reflect & Connect
•How does the idea of a "jar" as a container help you understand its use as a verb meaning to shake or shock?
•Can you think of a time when something "jarred" you emotionally or physically? What happened?
Fill in the blanks
1.She put the jam in a ___ on the kitchen table to keep it fresh.
2.The sudden stop of the car ___ the passengers and made them hold on tight.
3.His loud voice ___ the quiet room and made everyone look up.
4.Unlike a bottle, a jar has a ___ mouth that makes it easy to take things out.
5.The noise was so strong it ___ the windows and shook the house.
6.When you ___ something, it moves quickly and suddenly, not slowly.
7.The cookie jar was full, so she had to ___ the lid carefully to open it.