soft-shell clam
noun
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
An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800
Words nearby soft-shell clam
soft-land,
soft-pedal,
soft-rock geology,
soft-sell,
soft-shell,
soft-shell clam,
soft-shell crab,
soft-shelled turtle,
soft-shoe,
soft-soap,
soft-soaper
British Dictionary definitions for soft-shell clam
soft-shell clam
noun
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