CLAMSHELL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does clamshell mean? 

• CLAMSHELL (noun)
  The noun CLAMSHELL has 2 senses:

1. the shell of a clam

2. a dredging bucket with hinges like the shell of a clam

  Familiarity information: CLAMSHELL used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CLAMSHELL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The shell of a clam

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("clamshell" is a kind of...):

shell (the hard largely calcareous covering of a mollusc or a brachiopod)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A dredging bucket with hinges like the shell of a clam

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

clamshell; grapple

Hypernyms ("clamshell" is a kind of...):

dredging bucket (a bucket for lifting material from a channel or riverbed)

 Context examples 

A plastic 'clamshell' [thin plastic pre-formed structure for a device].

(Cello Pack, NCI Thesaurus)