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

The most dramatic physical change is that the cockpit has been replaced by clamshell doors and a ramp that provides the helicopter with 25% more cargo space. —David Szondy october 13, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2025

Zauner, who’s wrapping up her own tour this fall, brought a piece of her set design, a giant clamshell, to Roan’s stage. —Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2025

Taygeer Carry-on Backpack The Taygeer Carry-on Backpack opens like a clamshell, allowing for a larger capacity than most backpacks while still fitting underneath an airplane seat. —Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 8 Oct. 2025

And Qualcomm’s first-gen X Elite processors are in the Microsoft Surface Pro (2024)detacahable tablet (using the X1E-80-100 variant) and a Asus Vivobook S 15 clamshell (X1E-78-100). —Wendy Sheehan Donnell, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025

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