soft-shell clam

noun

: an elongated clam (Mya arenaria) of the east coast of North America that has a thin friable shell and long siphon and is eaten especially when steamed

called also soft-shelled clam, steamer

Examples of soft-shell clam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The crab was blamed for wiping out the soft-shell clam industry on the US East Coast in the early 1900s. Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Jan. 2022 But diners will get a soft-shell clam belly broil made with Ipswich clams, a popular menu item in its day. Robert Simonson, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2020 Brian Beal, a biologist at the University of Maine at Machias who studies green crabs’ particularly severe damage to soft-shell clam fisheries, says these animals thrive in warmer waters. Laura Poppick, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2019 But soft-shell clam farming remains mostly uncharted territory, said Jeff Nichols, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Washington Post, 3 June 2018 The crabs’ rise has coincided with the decline of the Maine soft-shell clam industry, which had its smallest harvest since the 1930s last year, due in part to an increase in predators, like crabs. Washington Post, 6 June 2018 The predators eat soft-shell clams, which are often used in fried clam rolls and clam strips. Washington Post, 3 June 2018 The inhabitants ate shellfish, of course, mostly soft-shell clams. Murray Carpenter, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soft-shell clam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of soft-shell clam was in 1818

Dictionary Entries Near soft-shell clam

Cite this Entry

“Soft-shell clam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soft-shell%20clam. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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