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🇩🇪German Source WordCode: DE

entfernen

Pronunciation / Transliteration: ent-fer-nen

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Unjam/ʌnˈdʒæm/
verbCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #14500 frequency
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🇩🇪 Example Sentence in German:

"Er hat das Papier aus dem Drucker entfernt."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To free something that is stuck, blocked, or wedged in a mechanism or opening so that it can move normally again.

    "He managed to unjam the printer by carefully pulling out the torn piece of paper."
  2. 2

    To clear a congested area, queue, or traffic flow of blockages to restore smooth movement.

    "Traffic officers worked quickly to unjam the intersection during rush hour."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (3)
Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The word is formed by combining the native English negative or reversal prefix un- (from Old English and- and on-) with the verb jam, which originated in the early 18th century to describe something being squeezed, wedged, or stuck tightly. Over time, as mechanical and electronic systems became widespread, the compound unjam emerged in modern English to specifically denote the act of freeing a stuck mechanism.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

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Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Unjam"

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