Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb figuratively To
stop functioning; to come to ahalt . - verb To
stiffen or becometight and difficult to move. - verb of a machine To stop working suddenly, and become impossible to start again.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
The term originates c. 1870 referring to a machine which jammed up because of excessive heat or friction. It has been used figuratively since c. 1950.
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Examples
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