burrowing marine mollusk living on sand or mud; the shell closes with viselike firmness
"The surf washed over the beach, but none of the clams could pry open their shells despite the relentless pounding."
a piece of paper money worth one dollar
"The cashier refused to take my last five-dollar bill, insisting I pay in exact change since he didn't have any small clams left for the register."
flesh of either hard-shell or soft-shell clams
"After buying a fresh batch of clam, we steamed them to make a simple pasta dish."
A bivalve mollusk of many kinds, especially those that are edible; for example the soft-shell clam (Mya arenaria), the hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria), the sea clam or hen clam (Spisula solidissima), and other species. The name is said to have been given originally to the Tridacna gigas, a huge East Indian bivalve.
"The rower installed a new clam on his blade before the race to fine-tune his rowing stroke for better efficiency."
A crash or clangor made by ringing all the bells of a chime at once.
clamminess; moisture
Alternative form of CLAM
Acronym of Clip-on Load Adjusting Mechanism. A device that can be fitted onto an oar to adjust set.
In plain English: A clam is a tool you attach to an oar to change its angle while rowing.
"The rower quickly adjusted his boat's course with a few turns of the clam."
Usage: Clam (noun) refers specifically to a clip-on device used on oars to modify their angle, or "set," allowing for adjustments during rowing. It's a technical term primarily found in the context of competitive rowing.
gather clams, by digging in the sand by the ocean
"We spent the afternoon gathering clams by digging deep into the wet sand along the shoreline."
To dig for clams.
"The sauce began to clam together when I heated it too quickly, making it difficult to stir."
To produce, in bellringing, a clam or clangor; to cause to clang.
To be moist or glutinous; to stick; to adhere.
In plain English: To clam means to stick firmly to something.
"The clay began to clam to my fingers as soon as I added water."
Usage: Clam (verb) Use "clam" to describe something becoming damp, sticky, or adhering-think of metal clamming together from rust or hands clamming to a cold surface. It implies a gradual and often unwelcome adherence.
clammy.
"His hand felt so clammy that he had to wipe his brow before shaking it across the room."
In plain English: A saltwater shellfish with a hinged shell. Clammy: Feeling damp and slightly sticky, like your skin after sweating.
"The damp towel felt clammy against my skin."
Usage: This noun refers to a saltwater bivalve mollusk with a hinged shell. Use it to describe shellfish, like "We had fried clams for dinner." Clammy: As an adjective, "clammy" describes something unpleasantly damp or sticky, often referring to skin or surfaces-for example, "His hands were clammy with nerves."