clamshell
noun, verb
clamshell is spelled C-L-A-M-S-H-E-L-L: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 65,114th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, clamshell means “The shell of a clam” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of clamshell is clamshells.
How many letters and syllables are in clamshell?
| Letters | 9: C-L-A-M-S-H-E-L-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 65,114th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is clamshell?
Clamshell appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 65,114th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce clamshell?
- US
Clamshell has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-clamshell.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of clamshell
- clamshells plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- clamshelling participle, present
- clamshelled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does clamshell mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The shell of a clam.
- 2
Any object that, in (literal or figurative) resemblance to the shell of a clam, has a hinge on one edge and two surfaces that close together.
- 3
A dredging bucket with hinges like the shell of a clam.
- 4
In food service, the closing box (usually styrofoam but sometimes cardboard) given to consumers with takeout food.
- 5
A hinged case for a video tape, cassette tape, or video game cartridge.
- 6
USdatedderogatoryslangA person's mouth.
Shut your clamshell!
- 7
Any object with some other resemblance to either one or both halves of the shell of a clam.
- 8
An amphitheater, especially an outdoor amphitheater; the semi-circular acoustic backdrop behind and above the performers.
verb
- 1
To deform a die in a shape resembling the shell of a clam, as a result of uneven extrusion pressure.
- 2
To dig out by means of a clamshell (dredging bucket).
- 3
To compress or flatten underwater debris so as to avoid blocking a channel.
- 4
To open or close by means of a hinge, similar to the way a clamshell opens and closes.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does clamshell come from?
From clam + shell.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).