venus mercenaria

3 definitions found

venus mercenaria - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Quahog \Qua"hog\, Quahaug \Qua"haug\, n. [Abbrev. fr.
     Narragansett Indian poqua[^u]hock.] (Zool.)
     An American market clam (Venus mercenaria). It is sold in
     large quantities, and is highly valued as food. Called also
     round clam, and hard clam.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The name is also applied to other allied species, as
           Venus Mortoni of the Gulf of Mexico.
           [1913 Webster] Quaigh

  Clam \Clam\ (kl[a^]m), n. [Cf. Clamp, Clam, v. t.,
     Clammy.]
     1. (Zool.) A bivalve mollusk of many kinds, especially those
        that are edible; as, the long clam (Mya arenaria), the
        quahog or round clam (Venus mercenaria), the sea clam or
        hen clam (Spisula solidissima), and other species of the
        United States. The name is said to have been given
        originally to the Tridacna gigas, a huge East Indian
        bivalve.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              You shall scarce find any bay or shallow shore, or
              cove of sand, where you may not take many clampes,
              or lobsters, or both, at your pleasure. --Capt. John
                                                    Smith (1616).
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              Clams, or clamps, is a shellfish not much unlike a
              cockle; it lieth under the sand.      --Wood (1634).
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     2. (Ship Carp.) Strong pinchers or forceps.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. pl. (Mech.) A kind of vise, usually of wood.
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     Blood clam. See under Blood.
        [1913 Webster]

venus mercenaria - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Venus mercenaria
      n 1: an edible American clam; the heavy shells were used as
           money by some American Indians [syn: quahog, quahaug,
           hard-shell clam, hard clam, round clam, Venus mercenaria
           , Mercenaria mercenaria]