soft-shell clam


noun
  1. an edible clam, Mya arenaria, inhabiting waters along both coasts of North America, having an oval, relatively thin, whitish shell.

Origin of soft-shell clam

1
An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800

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British Dictionary definitions for soft-shell clam

soft-shell clam

noun
  1. any of several marine clams of the genus Mya, esp M. arenaria, an edible species of coastal regions of the US and Europe, having a thin brittle shell: Sometimes shortened to: soft-shell Compare quahog

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