■ noun
1》 a large marine bivalve mollusc with shells of equal size, several kinds of which are edible. [ Mya arenaria ( softshell ~ ), Venus mercenaria ( hardshell ~ , both N. America), Tridacna gigas ( giant ~ , Indo-Pacific), and many other species.]
2》 US informal a dollar.
■ verb ( ~s , ~ming , ~med )
1》 chiefly N. Amer. dig for or collect ~s.
2》 ( ~ up ) informal abruptly stop talking.
Origin
C16: appar. from earlier ~ 'a ~p', from OE ~ , ~m 'a bond or bondage', of Gmc origin; related to ~p 1 ; sense 2 of the noun is of unknown origin.