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

While there are smaller form factors of keyboard and screen in an almost clamshell layout, these have been the purview of Apple’s iPad range. —Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025

Videos of the VertiFlex show the panel appearing like a normal clamshell laptop when first opened. —Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025

Invented by German chemist Fritz Stastny at BASF, the largest chemical producer in the world, EPS is in everything from coffee cups and takeout clamshells to packing peanuts. —Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025

Walmart also carries clamshell packs of nine mini muffins. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 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