soft-shell clam

noun

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Definition of soft-shell clam

: an elongated clam (Mya arenaria) of the east coast of North America that has a thin friable shell and long siphon and is eaten especially when steamed — called also soft-shelled clam, steamer

Recent Examples of soft-shell clam from the Web

The predators eat soft-shell clams, which are often used in fried clam rolls and clam strips.

— Washington Post, "As clam harvesting declines, could farming be the answer?," 3 June 2018
The inhabitants ate shellfish, of course, mostly soft-shell clams.

— murray carpenter, New York Times, "Native American Secrets Lie Buried in Huge Shell Mounds," 19 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'soft-shell clam.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.