clam

1 of 3

noun (1)

clam

2 of 3

noun (2)

often attributive
1
a
: any of numerous edible marine bivalve mollusks living in sand or mud
b
: a freshwater mussel
2
: a stolid or closemouthed person
3
4
informal : dollar sense 3

Illustration of clam

Illustration of clam
  • a incurrent orifice
  • b siphon
  • c excurrent orifice
  • d mantle
  • e shell
  • f foot

clam

3 of 3

verb

clammed; clamming

intransitive verb

: to gather clams especially by digging
clammer noun

Examples of clam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
For years, Weyand’s store on Biddle did all sorts of dinners on Fridays and sold Blume’s popular and specially made clam chowder. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 4 Mar. 2024 The dinner theme harkened back to a sardine motif used throughout Staud’s latest collection, with scallop crudo, clams, and woven boquerones as just a few offerings on the menu. Jamila Stewart, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024 First, there is clam pizza, with clams often freshly shucked to order on a white pie. Amelia Nierenberg Joe Buglewicz, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2024 Black hopes to expand his climate chronologies and create a 1,000-year history of climate in the north Pacific using clam rings. The Arizona Republic, 19 Feb. 2024 Must-try restaurants are easier to get a table at, certain fish are more readily available, and famed lobster rolls and fried clams enjoy a welcome rest. Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Feb. 2024 The Grammys have a history of delivering memorable style moments, à la Dua Lipa transforming into Donatella Versace circa 2022 and Cardi B emerging from a couture Mugler clam shell back in 2019. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2024 Halibut Crudo 2021 Le Vigne Chardonnay, Paso Robles: The depth and ripe fruit in this wine stand up to the complexity of the clams, while the touch of salinity in the wine mirrors the seafood flavors. Sunset Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024 In this take on the beloved Italian American classic, butter crackers are used in place of plain bread crumbs to add their fatty saltiness to the crunchy topping, which coats juicy whole clams. Dan Pelosi, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2023
Verb
Where cows once grazed, farmland once produced food, and children went clamming (clams prefer sand, not cobbles), the land and habitat were gradually lost to the sea. Alka Tripathy-Lang, Ars Technica, 11 Jan. 2024 The old Florida vibe of Tin City is a throwback to the 1920s when clam, shelling, oyster, and fishing industries were headquartered here. Kara Franker, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2023 There’s something unavoidably primal about prying open an oyster or clam and sucking it from its shell—there’s no way to aesthetically refine the act’s essential ferality. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2023 He was joined by the team’s investigator, Tom Brennan, who worked in clamming and oystering before going into law enforcement. Karen Zraick Karsten Moran, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023 At the Cedar Key Historical Society Museum, which opened its doors and windows on Thursday to dry out, an exhibit said that clamming represented $30 million of the local economy in 2016, producing between 125 million and 150 million clams, or about 90 percent of Florida’s harvest. Jacey Fortin, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2023 Tautog Like sheepshead, this Northeast and Mid-Atlantic wreck and reef dweller is highly adept at taking a piece of crab or clam off your hook before the tug even triggers your brain to swing. Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 24 Aug. 2023 Several people also shared childhood memories of family clamming trips in Arizona. The Arizona Republic, 9 Aug. 2023 With buckets and shovels amid a seemingly endless sprawl of mud, clamming can be a dream opportunity for kids who like to get their hands dirty. Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News, 4 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English clamm bond, fetter; akin to Old High German klamma constriction and perhaps to Latin glomus ball

Noun (2)

clam entry 1; from the clamping action of the shells

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1636, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clam was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near clam

Cite this Entry

“Clam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clam. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clam

1 of 2 noun
1
: any of numerous edible marine mollusks that have two hinged shells and live in sand or mud
2
: a freshwater mussel

clam

2 of 2 verb
clammed; clamming
: to dig or gather clams

More from Merriam-Webster on clam

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