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
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2024
Yet previous measurements of these clams’ photosynthetic efficiency in the wild had put it even higher, at more than 60 percent.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2024
Order some rosé, linguine with clams, and watch the sunset.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 19 July 2024
Here’s what experts had to say about PSP and how to stay safe while enjoying oysters, clams, and shellfish this summer.
—Julia Landwehr, Health, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for clam 
Noun
For dinner, seafood is certainly on the menu with options ranging from linguini and clams to shrimp and grits to jumbo lump crab cakes.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2024
Yet previous measurements of these clams’ photosynthetic efficiency in the wild had put it even higher, at more than 60 percent.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2024
Order some rosé, linguine with clams, and watch the sunset.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 19 July 2024
Here’s what experts had to say about PSP and how to stay safe while enjoying oysters, clams, and shellfish this summer.
—Julia Landwehr, Health, 14 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for clam
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.
Dictionary Entries Near clam
Cite this Entry
“Clam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clam. Accessed 28 Aug. 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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