clam

[ klam ]

/ klæm /

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See synonyms for: clam / clammed / clamming / clams on Thesaurus.com

noun

any of various bivalve mollusks, especially certain edible species.Compare quahog, soft-shell clam.

Informal. a secretive or silent person.

clamminess.

Slang. a dollar or the sum of a dollar: I only made 60 clams a week.

verb (used without object), clammed, clam·ming.

to gather or dig clams.

Verb Phrases

clam up, Slang. 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.

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of clam

First recorded in 1500–10; short for clam-shell, i.e., bivalve with a shell that clamps; see clam², shell

OTHER WORDS FROM clam

clam·like, adjectiveclam·mer, noun

Other definitions for clam (2 of 2)

clam²

[ klam ]

/ klæm /

noun

British Dialect. clamp (defs. 1-3).

Machinery. (formerly) pincers.

Origin of clam

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use clam in a sentence

My wife and I waited and waited for him afterward because we were supposed to go out for clams.
Satchel Paige was one of baseball’s best. It didn’t take an announcement to know that.|Thomas M. Boswell|December 18, 2020|Washington Post
While nothing will match the feeling of biting into a fresh clam tostada splashed with one of Rodriguez’s signature sauces, a chip dipped into any of these store-bought salsas won’t disappoint.
The Best Specialty Brand Salsas According to Eater Editors|Mario A. Cortez|December 18, 2020|Eater
Smaller, sweet clams can be quickly steamed in their own juices in a microwave.
14 wild edibles you can pull right out of the ocean|By Bob McNally/Field & Stream|October 19, 2020|Popular-Science
Great eating clams and mussels can be found almost anywhere there’s tidewater.
14 wild edibles you can pull right out of the ocean|By Bob McNally/Field & Stream|October 19, 2020|Popular-Science

They can also be dug out with a clam gun, and some folks simply pour salt into the dimples, which causes the clam to dig to the surface where it can be collected.
14 wild edibles you can pull right out of the ocean|By Bob McNally/Field & Stream|October 19, 2020|Popular-Science
Mr. Madden was a clammer and fisherman, and his wife did some work for the summer colonists.
Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue at Christmas Tree Cove|Laura Lee Hope
Thus "enough" is spelled "enuff," and "clamor," "clammer," though Dr. Johnson himself would never have pronounced them otherwise.
A Guest at the Ludlow and Other Stories|Edgar Wilson (Bill) Nye
These permits cost 25 cents, and are required from every clammer.
A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of Massachusetts|Commissioners on Fisheries and Game
Old Goodwin with his quiet smile—even in his clammer's clothes and his old stained rubber boots—is yet Goodwin the Rich.
The Clammer and the Submarine|William John Hopkins
The invested capital includes the clammer's outfit and boat, but does not include personal apparel, such as boots and oil skins.
A Report upon the Mollusk Fisheries of Massachusetts|Commissioners on Fisheries and Game

British Dictionary definitions for clam (1 of 2)

clam¹

/ (klæm) /

noun

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

the edible flesh of such a mollusc

informal a reticent person

verb clams, clamming or clammed

(intr) mainly US to gather clams

Word Origin for clam

C16: from earlier clamshell, that is, shell that clamps; related to Old English clamm fetter, Old High German klamma constriction; see clamp 1

British Dictionary definitions for clam (2 of 2)

clam²

/ (klæm) /

verb clams, clamming or clammed

a variant of clem

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with clam

clam

In addition to the idiom beginning with clam

clam up

also see:

happy as the day is long (as a clam)

clam

Origin of clam

OTHER WORDS FROM clam

Other definitions for clam (2 of 2)

Origin of clam

Words related to clam

How to use clam in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for clam (1 of 2)

Word Origin for clam

British Dictionary definitions for clam (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with clam