Definitions for: Clam


[n] burrowing marine mollusk living on sand or mud
[n] flesh of either hard-shell or soft-shell clams
[n] (United States) a piece of paper money worth one dollar
[v] gather clams, by digging in the sand by the ocean



Webster (1913) Definition: Clam, n. [Cf. Clamp, Clam, v. t., Clammy.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) A bivalve mollusk of many kinds, especially
those that are edible; as, the long clam (Mya arenaria),
the quahog or round clam (Venus mercenaria), the sea
clam or hen clam (Spisula solidissima), and other
species of the United States. The name is said to have
been given originally to the Tridacna gigas, a huge East
Indian bivalve.

You shall scarce find any bay or shallow shore, or
cove of sand, where you may not take many clampes,
or lobsters, or both, at your pleasure. --Capt. John
Smith (1616).

Clams, or clamps, is a shellfish not much unlike a
coclke; it lieth under the sand. --Wood (1634).

2. (Ship Carp.) Strong pinchers or forceps.

3. pl. (Mech.) A kind of vise, usually of wood.

Blood clam. See under Blood.


Clam (cl[a^]m), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clammed; p. pr. &
vb. n. Clamming.] [Cf. AS. cl[ae]man to clam, smear; akin
to Icel. kleima to smear, OHG. kleimjan, chleimen, to defile,
or E. clammy.]
To clog, as with glutinous or viscous matter.

A swarm of wasps got into a honey pot, and there they
cloyed and clammed Themselves till there was no getting
out again. --L'Estrange.


Clam, v. i.
To be moist or glutinous; to stick; to adhere. [R.] --Dryden


Clam, n.
Claminess; moisture. [R.] ``The clam of death.'' --Carlyle.


Clam, n. [Abbrev. fr. clamor.]
A crash or clangor made by ringing all the bells of a chime
at once. --Nares.


Clam, v. t. & i.
To produce, in bell ringing, a clam or clangor; to cause to
clang. --Nares.

Synonyms: buck, dollar, dollar bill, one dollar bill

See Also: bank bill, bank note, banker's bill, banknote, bill, bivalve, clam, clam, collect, Federal Reserve note, garner, gather, geoduck, giant clam, government note, greenback, hard-shell clam, hard-shell clam, jackknife clam, knife-handle, lamellibranch, long-neck clam, long-neck clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, Mya arenaria, note, pelecypod, pull together, quahaug, quahaug, quahog, quahog, razor clam, round clam, round clam, shellfish, shipworm, soft-shell clam, soft-shell clam, steamer, steamer, steamer clam, steamer clam, teredinid, Tridacna gigas, Venus mercenaria

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