Illustration of clam
- a incurrent orifice
- b siphon
- c excurrent orifice
- d mantle
- e shell
- f foot
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
Synonyms
Examples of clam in a Sentence
Noun (2)
it must take a whole lot of clams to buy a car like that
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeff Gibson, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
Order clam chowder, oysters, or the seafood boat at Captain Zack’s Seafood, or chow down on a shrimp taco from Pico Taqueria.
Plan to spend time at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.
—Madeline Weinfield, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2024
Stephanie Vermillion, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024
The mask has a hydrogel texture that clams and cools the skin while its clinical-grade ingredients sink in to rejuvenate the complexion.
—Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clam 
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Noun
It’s recommended the bananas and clam chowder be entirely concealed/submerged once the concrete has set.
—Jeff Gibson, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
Order clam chowder, oysters, or the seafood boat at Captain Zack’s Seafood, or chow down on a shrimp taco from Pico Taqueria.
Plan to spend time at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.
—Madeline Weinfield, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2024
Verb
On special mornings, guests can start the day watching clamming bears as the sun soars above the Chigmit Mountains –all without leaving camp.
—Stephanie Vermillion, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024
The mask has a hydrogel texture that clams and cools the skin while its clinical-grade ingredients sink in to rejuvenate the complexion.
—Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for clam
Dictionary Entries Near clam
Cite this Entry
“Clam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clam. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
clam
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
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