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 1
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
Rin Velasco, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
That’s when something tightened, a brief, instinctual clam-closing and then loosening again just as fast.
—Dawn Lerman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Daisy MacLellan, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2026
Swim in your pool and go clamming.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clam
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Noun
In 2020, the Democratic National Convention caught some flack from outspoken Rhode Islanders for showcasing calamari as the state's best dish instead of the quintessentially Rhode Island stuffed clam or stuffie.
—Rin Velasco, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
That’s when something tightened, a brief, instinctual clam-closing and then loosening again just as fast.
—Dawn Lerman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
The town boasts a fascinating history of shipbuilders, sea captains, clamming, and foreign trade.
—Daisy MacLellan, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2026
Swim in your pool and go clamming.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clam
Cite this Entry
“Clam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clam. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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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