ajar
To turn or open slightlyTo turn or open slightly; to become ajar or to cause to become ajar; to be or to hang ajar.
» Tom found the basement door was ajar at the vacant house next to his.
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
2 senses(intransitive, rare, transitive)To turn or open slightly; to become ajar or to cause to become ajar; to be or to hang ajar.
(intransitive, rare)To show variance or contradiction with something; to be or cause to be askew.
Examples
33 sentencesTom found the basement door was ajar at the vacant house next to his.
The door is ajar.
ruДверь приоткрыта. — odexed
Tom left the door ajar.
Tom found the door ajar.
Tom's bedroom window was ajar.
Origin
From Middle English ajar, on char (“on [the] turn”), from on (“on”) + char (“turn, occasioFrom Middle English ajar, on char (“on [the] turn”), from on (“on”) + char (“turn, occasion”), from Old English ċierr, cyrr (“turn”), from ċierran (“to turn, convert”), equivalent to a- + char. Akin to Scots char, chare (“to turn, cause to turn”), Dutch akerre, kier (“ajar”), German kehren (“to turn”). See char.
From a- (“in, at”) + jar (“discord, disagreement”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
ajars, ajarring, ajarred, ajarredLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle