soft-shell clam

noun

1. an edible clam, Mya arenaria, inhabiting waters along both coasts of North America, having an oval, relatively thin, whitish shell.

soft-shell clam

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: soft-shell. any of several marine clams of the genus Mya , esp M. arenaria, an edible species of coastal regions of the US and Europe, having a thin brittle shell Compare quahog

Word History and Origins

Origin of soft-shell clam¹

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800