clam

Meanings

Noun

• 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 (species)), and other species. The name is said to have been given originally to the Tridacna gigas, a huge East Indian bivalve.
• Strong pincers or forceps.
• A kind of vise, usually of wood.
• A dollar.
• A Scientologist.
• A vagina.
• In musicians' parlance, a wrong or misplaced note.
• One who clams up; a taciturn person, one who refuses to speak.
• mouth ()
• A crash or clangor made by ringing all the bells of a chime at once.
• clamminess; moisture
• Alternative of CLAM

Verb

• To dig for clams.
• To produce, in bellringing, a clam or clangor; to cause to clang.
• To be moist or glutinous; to stick; to adhere.
• To clog, as with glutinous or viscous matter.

Adjective

• clammy.

Origin

• From Middle English clam, from Old English clamm, from Proto-Germanic *klamjaną. The sense “dollar” may allude to wampum. The sense "Scientologist" alludes to the Scientologist belief that human thetans (souls) previously inhabited clams.
• From Middle English clammen ("to smear, bedaub"), from Old English clǣman ("to smear, bedaub"). Cognate with German klamm ("clammy"). See also clammy and clem.