clam

¹ American  

[klam] / klæm /

noun

1. any of various bivalve mollusks, especially certain edible species.

2. Informal. a secretive or silent person.

3. clamminess.

4. Slang. a dollar or the sum of a dollar.

   I only made 60 clams a week.

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verb (used without object)

clams, present (3rd person singular) clammed, past participle, past clamming present participle

1. to gather or dig clams.

verb phrase

1. clam up to refuse to talk or reply; refrain from talking or divulging information.

   The teacher asked who had thrown the eraser, but the class clammed up.

clam ² American  

[klam] / klæm /

noun

1. British Dialect. clamp.

2. Machinery. (formerly) pincers.

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clam ¹ British  

/ klæm /

noun

1. any of various burrowing bivalve molluscs of the genera Mya, Venus, etc. Many species, such as the quahog and soft-shell clam, are edible and Tridacna gigas is the largest known bivalve, nearly 1.5 metres long

2. the edible flesh of such a mollusc

3. informal a reticent person

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verb

1. (intr) to gather clams

clam ² British  

/ klæm /

verb

1. a variant of clem

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clam Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing clam

• happy as the day is long (as a clam)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• clammer
  noun
• clamlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• clamming
  present
• clammed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• clam
  simple
• clams
  simple
• have clammed
  perfect
• has clammed
  perfect
• are clamming
  progressive
• am clamming
  progressive
• is clamming
  progressive
• have been clamming
  perfect progressive
• has been clamming
  perfect progressive

Past

• clammed
  simple
• had clammed
  perfect
• was clamming
  progressive
• were clamming
  progressive
• had been clamming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will clam
  simple
• will have clammed
  perfect
• will be clamming
  progressive
• will have been clamming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of clam¹

First recorded in 1500–10; short for clam-shell, i.e., bivalve with a shell that clamps; see clam ², shell

Origin of clam²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English, derivative of clam(m), clom(m), “fetter, clasp, bandage”; cognate with German Klamm “fetter, constriction”; akin to clamp

Explanation

A clam is a marine animal with two shells that eats by straining food from water, sand, or mud. You can sometimes find clams by digging in the sand close to the seashore. The largest clams are used for food by humans, including the scallop, a particularly big form of clam. When you order soup in New England, it's not unlikely that it will be clam chowder, a creamy, thick stew with potatoes and pieces of clam. When clam is a verb, it means "to dig clams on the beach," and if your friend offers to pay you 1000 clams for your old car, she means "dollars."

Example Sentences

It also served some of the region’s more unique specialties, such as clam cakes from a recipe hand-written by his grandmother found on the back of a fish-shop receipt.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

“My go-to recipe is a little bit different than your typical clam chowder,” Matijevich says.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

As a result, the European Union has completely banned harvesting the clam.

From Science Daily • Feb. 9, 2026

Anyone beyond the land of candlepin bowling and cringing at red clam chowder thought they had a better shot at finishing at the bottom of the standings than reaching the Super Bowl.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

“We’ll go to Harvey’s on the way to school tomorrow. Now come on, and start making our supper. Spaghetti and clam sauce. A feast for Papi.”

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Related Words

• mollusk