jamb

¹ American  

[jam] / dʒæm /

Or jambe

noun

1. Architecture, Building Trades.

   1. either of the vertical sides of a doorway, arch, window, or other opening.

   2. either of two stones, timbers, etc., forming the sidepieces for the frame of an opening.

2. Armor. greave.

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jamb ² American  

[jam] / dʒæm /

verb (used with or without object)

Obsolete.

1. an obsolete variant of jam.

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jamb British  

/ dʒæm /

noun

1. a vertical side member of a doorframe, window frame, or lining

2. a vertical inside face of an opening in a wall

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Etymology

Origin of jamb

1350–1400; Middle English jambe < Middle French: leg, jamb < Late Latin gamba, variant of camba pastern, leg < Greek kampḗ bend of a limb

Explanation

A jamb is one of the upright boards or posts that support a door or window frame. Your front door shuts securely in between two jambs. When a house builder frames a doorway, she sets two jambs at the sides of the opening, with what's called a lintel at the top. The door fits between the jambs. Windows have jambs too — if you replace your existing windows, you may need a whole new frame, including new jambs. The Old French origin is jambe, which means "pier or side post," but was originally "a leg or a shank," from the Late Latin gamba, "leg."

Example Sentences

When I tested the original Lockly Vision, I couldn't access the fingerprint reader as the lock butted up too close to my door jamb.

From The Verge • Jul. 22, 2022

It was sturdily built with a steel jamb, impossible to kick in.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2022

Thankfully none of players entering the locker room afterward clanked off the door jamb.

From Seattle Times • May 27, 2022

Check your tires every month to make sure they stay at the pressure recommended by the vehicle’s manufacturer, which is listed on the jamb on the driver’s door.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2022

He came and stood in the doorway with her; she leaned back against the jamb.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell