clam
1any of various bivalve mollusks, especially certain edible species.: Compare quahog, soft-shell clam.
Informal. a secretive or silent person.
Slang. a dollar or the sum of a dollar: I only made 60 clams a week.
to gather or dig clams.
clam up, Slang. to refuse to talk or reply; refrain from talking or divulging information: The teacher asked who had thrown the eraser, but the class clammed up.
Origin of clam
1Other words from clam
- clam·like, adjective
- clam·mer, noun
Other definitions for clam (2 of 2)
British Dialect. clamp (defs. 1-3).
Machinery. (formerly) pincers.
Origin of clam
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use clam in a sentence
He only really clammed up when it came to talking about relationships.
But when pressed on the nature of their relationship—which Stiviano has characterized as platonic—Sterling clammed up.
Donald Sterling’s Insane Attempt at Damage Control Fails Miserably | Nina Strochlic | May 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen I asked for more details, and if he would go on record, he politely clammed up and walked away.
Longtime Sufferers of Cluster Headaches Find Relief in Psychedelics | Valerie Vande Panne | February 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI said I was there to ask questions about Greg Mortenson, and the cops clammed up.
In Greg Mortenson's Silence, His Neighbors Defend Him, or Vilify Him | Mike Giglio | June 7, 2011 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen Peruvian authorities refused to send him back to Aruba, he clammed up.
Clammed means starvation; that is, care killed the cat; for want of food the entrails get "clammed."
Our Cats and All About Them | Harrison WeirKellner had clammed up, and when the now suspicious editor had tried to check Colquhoun's tale personally, Colquhoun had vanished.
Cue for Quiet | Thomas L. SherredThe crack above the door should not be clammed until the muffle begins to get warm.
Pottery, for Artists Craftsmen & Teachers | George J. CoxSpy holes are left where necessary, and the whole well clammed to prevent the loss of heat during firing.
Pottery, for Artists Craftsmen & Teachers | George J. CoxBut he clammed up about that, hoping to keep it a secret until he could go back and claim it.
The Space Pioneers | Carey Rockwell
British Dictionary definitions for clam (1 of 2)
/ (klæm) /
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
the edible flesh of such a mollusc
informal a reticent person
(intr) mainly US to gather clams
Origin of clam
1- See also clam up
British Dictionary definitions for clam (2 of 2)
/ (klæm) /
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with clam
In addition to the idiom beginning with clam
- clam up
also see:
- happy as the day is long (as a clam)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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