clam
clam [clam clams clammed clamming] BrE [klæm] NAmE [klæm]
noun 
a ↑shellfish that can be eaten. It has a shell in two parts that can open and close
•clam chowder/soup
•The moment I mentioned the children he closed up like a clam (= became silent and refused to discuss the topic).
Word Origin:
early 16th cent.: apparently from earlier clam ‘a clamp’, from Old English clam, clamm ‘a bond or bondage’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch klemme, German Klemme, also to ↑clamp.
Derived: ↑clam up
verb (-mm-)
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
early 16th cent.: apparently from earlier clam ‘a clamp’, from Old English clam, clamm ‘a bond or bondage’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch klemme, German Klemme, also to ↑clamp.
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