logjam

[lawg-jam, log-] /ˈlɔgˌdʒæm, ˈlɒg-/
noun
1.
an immovable pileup or tangle of logs, as in a river, causing a blockage.
2.
any blockage or massive accumulation:
a logjam of bills before Congress.
Origin
1880-85; log1 + jam1
Examples from the web for logjam
  • Not everyone is happy about the break in the logjam.
  • The logjam was not completely continuous and had sections of open water along its length.
Word Origin and History for logjam
n.

also log-jam, "congestion of logs on a river," by 1851, American English; see log (n.1) + jam (v.). The figurative sense is by 1890.

Slang definitions & phrases for logjam

logjam

noun

An immovable static situation; gridlock: He broke the logjam of negotiations with the cable companies (1890+)