jar

Etymology 1

From Middle English jarre (“jar”), from Medieval Latin jarra, or from Middle French jarre (“liquid measure”) (from Old French jare; modern French jarre (“earthenware jar”)), or from Spanish jarra, jarro (“jug, pitcher; mug, stein”), all from Arabic جَرَّة (jarra, “earthen receptacle”). The word is cognate with Italian giara (“jar; crock”), Occitan jarro, Portuguese jarra, jarro (“jug; ewer, pitcher”). The verb is derived from the noun.

noun

1. (originally) An earthenware container, either with two or no handles, for holding oil, water, wine, etc., or used for burial.
   As I was going over the far fam'd Kerry mountain / I met with Captain Farrell [a]nd his money he was counting, / I first produced my pistol and I then produced my rapier, / Sayin', "Stand and deliver for you are my bold deceiver,["] / O, Whack fol the diddle, / O, Whack fol the diddle, / O, There's whiskey in the jar / O, Whack fol the diddle, / O, Whack fol the diddle, / O, There's whiskey in the jar. 17th century?, “There’s Whiskey in the Jar”, in Colm O Lochlainn, compiler, Irish Street Ballads: Collected and Annotated[…], New York, N.Y.: Corinth Books, published 1960, →OCLC, page 24
   [A] certain fisherman, after throwing his nets to no purpose, and beginning to be in despair, succeeded in catching a jar of brass. […] But presently there came out of the jar a vapour, and it rose up towards the heavens, and reached along the face of the earth; and after this, the vapour reached its height, and condensed, and became compact, and waved tremulously, and became an Ufreet (evil spirit), […] 1848, Leigh Hunt, “Introduction. A Blue Jar from Sicily, and a Brass Jar from the ‘Arabian Nights;’ and What Came Out of Each.”, in A Jar of Honey from Mount Hybla, London: Smith, Elder, and Co.,[…], →OCLC, page 3
   The first view shows the body in the grave, looking southwards; the stack of offering jars lies outside of a little court for offerings which is seen beyond them. Below this is a nearer view of the grave alone. Here is skeleton is in place, an alabaster bowl lies between the face and the knees, and a slate palette over that. Five jars stand around the body. 1914, W[illiam] M[atthew] Flinders Petrie, “The Valley Cemetery”, in Tarkhan II (British School of Archaeology in Egypt and Egyptian Research Account: Nineteenth Year, 1913; XXV), London: School of Archaeology in Egypt, University College, […] and Bernard Quaritch,[…], →OCLC, page 2, column 2
   Lucy Orrinsmith praised the charms of green glazed vases from the Aures mountains and Tunisian coarse clay and terracotta jars. 2008, Judith A. Neiswander, “Individuality and Eclectic Internationalism”, in The Cosmopolitan Interior: Liberalism and the British Home 1870–1914, New Haven, Conn., London: Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art by Yale University Press, page 46
2. A small, approximately cylindrical container, normally made of clay or glass, for holding fruit, preserves, etc., or for ornamental purposes.
   The Leyden jar is charged, like the condenser of Œpinus and the fulminating square, by making one of the armatures communicate with the earth and the other with the electric source. 1855, “On Physics, or Natural Philosophy. No. LIX. Effects Produced by the Accumulation of both Electricities.”, in [Robert Wallace], editor, The Popular Educator, volume VI, London: John Cassell,[…], →OCLC, page 507, column 1
   These important deficiencies in air-tight jars for preserving eggs have led me to invent a jar purposely for egg preserving, and which jar is not only perfectly air-tight, but it will show at a glance whether it is so, and how long it remains so, by means of its patent pneumatic self-indicating cap. 14 March 1865, G. K. Geyelin, “The Laws of Nature: In Relation to Poultry Keeping from a Commercial Point of View”, in George W. Johnson, Robert Hogg, editors, The Journal of Horticulture, Cottage Gardener, and Country Gentleman.[…], volume VIII, number 207 (New Series; volume XXXIII, issue 859 (Old Series)), London: Published for the proprietors,[…], →OCLC, page 219, column 2
3. A jar and its contents; as much as fills such a container; a jarful.
   A smaller plate was immersed, while the combustion was in active operation, in a glass jar of carbonic acid gas without any diminution of the incandescence of its surface, showing that the combustion is independent of the atmosphere in which takes place. 21 November 1911, William A[rthur] Bone, “Surface Combustion in a Boiler”, in Power: Devoted to the Generation and Transmission of Power, volume 34, number 21, New York, N.Y.: Hill Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 767, column 3
   Who do you think you are? / Runnin' 'round leaving scars / Collecting your jar of hearts / And tearing love apart 27 July 2010, Christina Perri (lyrics and music), “Jar of Hearts”, in Lovestrong
4. (Britain, Ireland, colloquial) A pint glass
5. (Britain, Ireland, colloquial, metonymically) A glass of beer or cider, served by the pint.
   About a shopping trolley, I thought I'd let ye know. Ya'd try to push it straight but it never seems ta go. Ya'd wobble through the car park, hopping off the cars. Anyone would think ya had a few auld jars. 2013-03-15, “The Shopping Trolley” (track 10), in Horsing Around, performed by Richie Kavanagh

verb

1. (transitive) To preserve (food) in a jar.
   It's important to consider the safety of jarring food. Eating food that has been spoiled because it wasn't jarred properly correctly can result in the disease botulism. 2014, Bridget Heos, “Getting Started”, in Jarring and Canning: Make Your Own Jams, Jellies, Pickles, and More (Urban Gardening and Farming for Teens), New York, N.Y.: Rosen Publishing, page 17

Etymology 2

From earlier jar, jur, jarre, jurre, of uncertain origin. Possibly from earlier *char, *chur, *charre, *churre (now spelt chirr, churr (“to make a sound”); compare also nightjar and its variant nightchurr), from Middle English *chirren, *cherren, *churren (“to sound, cry, murmur, complain”), from Old English ċeorian (“to murmur, gripe, complain with just cause”), from Proto-West Germanic *karēn (“to complain”). For the change of ch to j, compare also charm, jarm (“chirping”); achar, ajar (“slightly turned or open”), chaw, jaw, etc. The noun is derived from the verb.

noun

1. (countable) A clashing or discordant set of sounds, particularly with a quivering or vibrating quality.
2. (countable, also figurative) A quivering or vibrating movement or sensation resulting from something being shaken or struck.
3. (countable, by extension) A sense of alarm or dismay.
4. (countable) The effect of something contradictory or discordant; a clash.
   Besides the jar of contrast there came to her a chill self-reproach that she had not returned sooner, to help her mother in these domesticities, instead of indulging herself out-of-doors. 1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, volume 1, London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., page 29
5. (countable, now rare) A disagreement, a dispute, a quarrel; (uncountable) contention, discord; quarrelling.
   But of late the populace of France are not so perfectly enclouded with Superſtition, and if a young Author can pretend to Divine, I think it is eaſy to foreſee that the papal Power will in a very ſhort ſpace be conſiderably leſſen’d if not in a great meaſure diſregarded in that Kingdom, by the inteſtine Jarrs and Diſcords of their Parties for Religion, and the Deſultory Judgments of the moſt conſiderable Prelates. 1718, [Daniel Defoe], A Vindication of the Press: Or, An Essay on the Usefulness of Writing, on Criticism, and the Qualification of Authors.[…], London: Printed for T. Warner,[…], →OCLC, page 7

verb

1. (transitive) To knock, shake, or strike sharply, especially causing a quivering or vibrating movement.
   He hit it with a hammer, hoping he could jar it loose.
   [T]he wrought iron arms of a fly-wheel were jarred loose in the cast iron rim, and broke off quite short from the rapid and continued violent shocks caused by the cam striking the helve, although the iron was of the toughest description originally. 24 April 1850, “Discussion on Railway Axes, and on the Structural Changes which Iron is Supposed to Undergo from Vibration and Concussion.[…]”, in J[oseph] C[linton] Robertson, editor, The Mechanics’ Magazine, Museum, Register, Journal, and Gazette, volume LII, number 1397, London: Robertson and Co., Mechanics’ Magazine Office,[…], published 18 May 1850, →OCLC, page 394, column 1
   The most reliable process [for removing curculios] is that of jarring the trees and collecting the insects on a cotton sheet spread under the tree. […] [I]n this manner a dozen or more of trees can be jarred and the results carefully collected in about fifteen or twenty minutes. 1868, W[illiam] Saunders, “[Appendix to Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Arts. Appendix (G). Report of ‘the Fruit Growers Association of Ontario,’ with Local Reports Annexed.] Report on the Fruit Crop in the Vicinity of London during 1868, with Remarks on Their Insect Enemies and Diseases”, in Sessional Papers. Second Session of the First Parliament of the Province of Ontario., volume I, part II, Toronto, Ont.: Hunter, Rose & Co. printers, →OCLC, page 199
2. (transitive) To harm or injure by such action.
3. (transitive, figurative) To shock or surprise.
   I think the accident jarred him, as he hasn’t got back in a car since.
4. (transitive, figurative) To act in disagreement or opposition, to clash, to be at odds with; to interfere; to dispute, to quarrel.
5. (transitive, intransitive) To (cause something to) give forth a rudely tremulous or quivering sound">sound; to (cause something to) sound">sound discordantly or harshly.
   The clashing notes jarred on my ears.
6. (intransitive) To quiver or vibrate due to being shaken or struck.
7. (intransitive, figurative) Of the appearance, form, style, etc., of people and things: to look strangely different; to stand out awkwardly from its surroundings; to be incongruent.