clamshell

[ klam-shel ]

noun
  1. the shell of a clam.

  2. an object that has two hinged parts and that opens and closes like a clamshell, as a laptop computer or a box with a cover joined on one side: This clamshell is lightweight, convenient, and as powerful as my desktop computer.

  1. Machinery.

    • Also called clamshell bucket . a dredging bucket opening at the bottom, consisting of two similar pieces hinged together at the top.

    • a machine equipped with such a bucket.

  2. Printing. a platen press.

adjective
  1. of or noting an object that opens and closes like a clamshell: a clamshell phone; clamshell packaging.

Origin of clamshell

1
1490–1500; earlier clam-shell;see clam1, shell

Words Nearby clamshell

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use clamshell in a sentence

  • And so Ab slid down the tree, clamshell in hand, and began laboring vigorously at the spot agreed upon.

    The Story of Ab | Stanley Waterloo
  • It was not a difficult task for a strong boy to cut through tough grass roots with the keen edge of the clamshell.

    The Story of Ab | Stanley Waterloo
  • The co-pilot closed the clamshell doors, and it became possible to hear oneself think again.

    Space Platform | Murray Leinster
  • It ended astern in a clumsy-looking bulge that was closed by a pair of huge clamshell doors, opening straight astern.

    Space Platform | Murray Leinster
  • He was eyeing the clamshell and looking more and more uneasy.

British Dictionary definitions for clamshell

clamshell

/ (ˈklæmˌʃɛl) /


noun
  1. mainly US a dredging bucket that is hinged like the shell of a clam

  2. aeronautics

    • an aircraft cockpit canopy hinged at the front and rear

    • the hinged door of a cargo aircraft

    • another name for eyelid (def. 2)

  1. any of a variety of objects hinged like the shell of a clam, such as a container for takeaway food, a portable computer, etc

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