clambake

American  

[klam-beyk] / ˈklæmˌbeɪk /

noun

1. a picnic or social gathering at the seashore at which clams clam and other seafood are baked, sometimes with corn and other items, traditionally on hot stones under a covering of seaweed.

2. Informal.  any social gathering, especially a very noisy one.

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clambake British  

/ ˈklæmˌbeɪk /

noun

1. a picnic, often by the sea, at which clams, etc, are baked

2. an informal party

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Etymology

Origin of clambake

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; clam ¹ + bake

Example Sentences

Hundreds of years before Europeans arrived on New England shores, Native Americans created the clambake by digging pits in the sand to steam them with lobster.

From Washington Times

These clambakes are a family and tribal tradition, said Mills, the Suquamish elder.

From Seattle Times

I live in a city apartment with no outdoor space, but that doesn’t stop me from regularly making a full-on New England-style clambake for dinner.

From Washington Post

One group will play in the PGA Tour’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am, a tournament that started as a clambake hosted by the crooner Bing Crosby.

From Washington Post

If clambakes and lobster dinners are your typical cookout fare, be sure to give this dish a try.

From Salon

Related Words

• association
• caucus
• collection
• conclave
• conference
• congregation
• convention
• crowd
• function
• group
• mass
• meeting
• party
• throng