clam

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈklam 

: clamp, clasp

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

: clamshell

4

informal : dollar sense 1

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

ˈkla-mər 

noun

Synonyms of clam

Noun (2)

• dollar
• buck

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

Noun

Mantis shrimps can safely smash open clam shells with their claws. —Carl Zimmer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025

The restaurant is known for its fresh seafood, from lobster rolls and clam chowder to more inventive menu items like lobster tacos. —Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 28 Oct. 2025

Verb

Go crabbing, clamming, hiking, or mushroom foraging with a guide, head out for a fat-tire bike ride, or enjoy a beach bonfire, already set up for you, for the coziest way to end a day on the coast. —Molly Allen, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2025

In 1968, Stanley Kubrick introduced HAL 9000’s unblinking red eye and eerily clam, smug voice in 2001: A Space Odyssey. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025

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)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1676, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing clam

• (as) happy as a clam
• butter clam
• clam up
• clam worm
• giant clam
• hard clam
• hard-shell clam
• Manhattan clam chowder
• Pismo clam
• razor clam
• round clam
• soft-shell clam
• surf clam

Rhymes for clam

• am
• bam
• cham
• damme
• damn
• dram
• flam
• fram
• gram
• ham
• jam
• jamb

Kids Definition

clam

1 of 2 noun

ˈklam 

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