Clam has a few different meanings. It can mean a dollar in informalused in casual speech, not official language American English, a burrowingliving by digging into sand or mud sea animal, the meat from that shellfishan aquatic animal with a hard outer shell, often eaten, or the act of digging for clams.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /klæm/
Easy pronunciation: KLAM (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable, stressed on the only syllable.
Used here in the slang noun sense meaning one dollar.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Clam Meaning
an informal word for a dollar
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a piece of paper money worth one dollar
Example: He paid ten clams for lunch.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- buck — Common informal synonym for one dollar
- dollar — Same value, though less informal
- dollar bill — Direct substitute when referring to the paper bill
- one dollar bill — More explicit but still matches this sense
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Clam
Meaning 2
a shellfish that lives in sand or mud
Part of speech: noun
Definition: burrowing marine mollusk living on sand or mud; the shell closes with viselike firmness
Example: We found clams near the shore at low tide.
Meaning 3
the edible meat of a clam
Part of speech: noun
Definition: flesh of either hard-shell or soft-shell clams
Example: She made a pasta dish with clam and garlic.
Meaning 4
to dig for clams
Part of speech: verb
Definition: gather clams, by digging in the sand by the ocean
Example: They spent the afternoon clamming along the beach.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Clam Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- buck
- dollar
- dollar bill
- one dollar bill
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes confuse the money sense of clam with the shellfish senses. They are unrelated meanings.
- Clam as a verb means to dig for clams; it does not mean to close up or become silent in this entry.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does clam mean in American slang?
In informal American English, clam can mean one dollar.
Is clam a word for an animal?
Yes. It can mean a burrowing shellfish that lives in sand or mud.
Can clam be a verb?
Yes. As a verb, it means to dig for clams along the shore.
What are the best synonyms for clam?
For the money sense, the best synonyms are buck, dollar, dollar bill, and one dollar bill.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.