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soft clam

American  

soft clam British  

noun

  1. another name for the soft-shell clam

"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

Etymology

Origin of soft clam

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For an appetizer, the soft clam pan roast is hard to beat; it is best followed by tasty mignons of tenderloin flared in bourbon or stuffed broiled lobster and wilted dandelion greens with bacon.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Yes, that's a soft clam, and a nice big one," declared Bunny.

From Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue at Christmas Tree Cove by Hope, Laura Lee

The soft clam is long and thin, instead of being almost round, like a hard clam.

From Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue at Christmas Tree Cove by Hope, Laura Lee

A little fountain of water announces the abode of the soft clam.

From Scouting For Girls, Official Handbook of the Girl Scouts by Bacon, Josephine Dodge Daskam

A soft clam lives down in the mud or sand under water.

From Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue at Christmas Tree Cove by Hope, Laura Lee