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
Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026
And speaking of lobster rolls, Perkins Cove’s Lobster Shack has some of the freshest around and is also known for its traditional clam chowder.
—Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2026
Anne Bratskeir, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 2026
Swim in your pool and go clamming.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clam
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Boston gets a lot of attention for its classics—lobster rolls, Boston cream pie, clam chowder.
—Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026
And speaking of lobster rolls, Perkins Cove’s Lobster Shack has some of the freshest around and is also known for its traditional clam chowder.
—Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2026
Verb
Today, an official clamming license is a must, and our ramshackle abode has long been converted to chic condos that sell for around a million bucks each.
—Anne Bratskeir, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 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 16 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
