Jamb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 Either of the vertical components that form the side of an opening in a wall, such as that of a door frame, window frame, or fireplace.
- 2 upright consisting of a vertical side member of a door or window frame wordnet
- 3 Any thick mass of rock that prevents miners from following the lode or vein.
- 4 Synonym of jambeau (“piece of armor for the leg”).
"Wyntoun, in his Chronicle, mentions an encounter betwixt Lindsay and a Highlander, whom he had pierced with his lance, but who, while on the ground, cut at him with his twohanded sword, and, striking through his steel jambs […]"
- 1 To fix or attach a jamb to. transitive
Example
More examples"Wyntoun, in his Chronicle, mentions an encounter betwixt Lindsay and a Highlander, whom he had pierced with his lance, but who, while on the ground, cut at him with his twohanded sword, and, striking through his steel jambs […]"
Etymology
From Middle English jambe, jaumbe, from Old French jambe (“leg”), from Late Latin gamba (“hock, shank, leg, thigh”), from Ancient Greek καμπή (kampḗ, “turning post, bend or flexure”). Doublet of gam, gamb, gamba, and jambe.
Related phrases
More for "jamb"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.