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clam

clam
C c

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [klam]
    • /klæm/
    • /klæm/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [klam]
    • /klæm/

Definitions of clam word

  • countable noun clam Clams are a kind of shellfish which can be eaten. 3
  • noun clam any of various burrowing bivalve molluscs of the genera Mya, Venus, etc. Many species, such as the quahog and soft-shell clam, are edible and Tridacna gigas is the largest known bivalve, nearly 1.5 metres long 3
  • noun clam the edible flesh of such a mollusc 3
  • noun clam a reticent person 3
  • verb clam to gather clams 3
  • noun clam any of various hard-shell, usually edible, bivalve mollusks, some of which live in the shallows of the sea, others in fresh water 3

Information block about the term

Origin of clam

First appearance:

before 1585
One of the 35% oldest English words
1585-95; short for clam-shell, i.e., bivalve with a shell that clamps. See clam2, shell

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Clam

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

clam popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 82% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

clam usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for clam

noun clam

  • mollusk — any invertebrate of the phylum Mollusca, typically having a calcareous shell of one, two, or more pieces that wholly or partly enclose the soft, unsegmented body, including the chitons, snails, bivalves, squids, and octopuses.
  • littleneck — the quahog clam, Venus mercenaria, when young and small.
  • quahog — an edible clam, Venus (Mercenaria) mercenaria, inhabiting waters along the Atlantic coast, having a relatively thick shell.
  • cherrystone — a small or not fully-grown edible clam of the genus Mercenaria, found in the waters off the Atlantic coast of North America

verb clam

  • sit on — to rest with the body supported by the buttocks or thighs; be seated.
  • clam up — If someone clams up, they stop talking, often because they are shy or to avoid giving away secrets.
  • dry up — free from moisture or excess moisture; not moist; not wet: a dry towel; dry air.
  • choke off — To choke off financial growth means to restrict or control the rate at which a country's economy can grow.
  • dulling — not sharp; blunt: a dull knife.

Top questions with clam

  • what do clam eat?
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See also

Matching words

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