clam

¹

[ klam ]

noun

1. any of various bivalve mollusks, especially certain edible species. Compare quahog, soft-shell clam.
2. Informal. a secretive or silent person.
3. clamminess.
4. Slang. a dollar or the sum of a dollar:

   I only made 60 clams a week.

verb (used without object)

, clammed, clam·ming.

1. to gather or dig clams.

verb phrase

1. Slang. to refuse to talk or reply; refrain from talking or divulging information:

   The teacher asked who had thrown the eraser, but the class clammed up.

clam

²

[ klam ]

noun

1. British Dialect. clamp ( defs 1, 2, 3 ).
2. Machinery. (formerly) pincers.

clam

¹

/ klæm /

verb

1. a variant of clem

clam

²

/ klæm /

noun

1. any of various burrowing bivalve molluscs of the genera Mya, Venus, etc. Many species, such as the quahog and soft-shell clam, are edible and Tridacna gigas is the largest known bivalve, nearly 1.5 metres long
2. the edible flesh of such a mollusc
3. informal.
   a reticent person

verb

1. intr to gather clams

Other Words From

• clam·like adjective
• clam·mer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of clam¹

First recorded in 1500–10; short for clam-shell, i.e., bivalve with a shell that clamps; clam ², shell

Origin of clam²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English, derivative of clam(m), clom(m), “fetter, clasp, bandage”; cognate with German Klamm “fetter, constriction”; akin to clamp

Word History and Origins

Origin of clam¹

C16: from earlier clamshell, that is, shell that clamps; related to Old English clamm fetter, Old High German klamma constriction; see clamp ¹

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with clam , also see happy as the day is long (as a clam) .

Example Sentences

While the algae get shelter and a safe place to live and grow, the clams benefit by feeding on the sugars the algae produce through photosynthesis.

From Science Daily

Another factor is “just having extreme social anxiety for a long, long time. People were fascinating to me, but also scary. I would kind of clam up around people because my brain would short-circuit.”

From Los Angeles Times

The estuary already has a long list of non-native species, including bass, water hyacinth, Asian clams and overbite clams.

From Los Angeles Times

Now her social-media videos garner hundreds of thousands of views as she prepares Vietnamese egg coffee, pandan-flavored desserts and spicy clam curry.

From Los Angeles Times

Those working the sea were impacted as well; clam farmers along the Gulf Coast are grappling with the losses they incurred when Helene's storm surge ravaged their stocks.

From Salon

Related Words

• mollusk