clamshell

noun

clam·​shell ˈklam-ˌshel 

1

: the shell of a clam

2

a

: a bucket or grapple (as on a dredge) having two hinged jaws

b

: an excavating machine having a clamshell

c

: either of a pair of doors (as in an airplane tail) that open out and away from each other

d

: a hinged container, case, or cover that opens like the shell of a clam

Examples of clamshell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lift the right knee up and out to the side, externally rotating your right hip for a clamshell. — Mallory Creveling, Health, 9 July 2026

Food operations were generating plastic and foam, so Amazon shifted to compostable cutlery and clamshell meal containers. — Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

The perimeters of these paths are lined with uniform clamshells, and there is no pavement anywhere in sight. — Ariel Leve, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

The brand has accounted for this scenario by including a suitcase-style clamshell opening with a mesh divider to keep things organized. — Alison Syrett Cleary, InStyle, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1520, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for clamshell

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bombshell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• cogswell
• compel
• dispel

Kids Definition

clamshell

noun

clam·​shell ˈklam-ˌshel 

: the shell of a clam