1. The most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
   "we tried to collect the clams he owed us";
   - money, coin [US, informal], boodle [informal], bread [informal], cabbage [US, informal], dinero [N. Amer, informal], dough [informal], gelt [informal], kale [US, informal], lettuce [US, informal], lolly [Brit, informal], lucre [informal], loot [informal], moolah [N. Amer, informal], pelf [archaic, informal], scratch [informal], shekels [informal], simoleons [US, informal], sugar [informal], wampum [N. Amer, informal], wonga [Brit, informal], moola [N. Amer, informal], brass [Brit, informal], dibs [archaic, informal], spondulix [Brit, informal], spondulicks [Brit, informal], mazuma [US, informal], dosh [Brit, informal]

1. Burrowing marine mollusk living on sand or mud; the shell closes with viselike firmness
   "We dug for clams at low tide"
    
2. Flesh of either hard-shell or soft-shell clams
   "The New England clam chowder was rich and creamy"
    
3. [US, informal] A piece of paper money worth one dollar
   "He tipped the waiter a couple of clams";
   - dollar, dollar bill, one dollar bill, buck [informal], single [US, informal]

1. Gather clams, by digging in the sand by the ocean
   "We clammed at the beach and collected enough for a feast"

Type of: bank bill, bank note, banker's bill [N. Amer], banknote, bill [N. Amer], bivalve, collect, Federal Reserve note [US], garner, gather, government note [US], greenback [US, informal], lamellibranch, medium of exchange, monetary system, note, pelecypod, pull together, shellfish

Part of: money supply

Encyclopedia: Clams