Qua·hog, Qua·haug  n.  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.
 Note: ☞ The name is also applied to other allied species, as Venus Mortoni of the Gulf of Mexico.

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 Clam n.
 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.
    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).
    Clams, or clamps, is a shellfish not much unlike a cockle; it lieth under the sand.   --Wood (1634).
 2.   Ship Carp. Strong pinchers or forceps.
 3. pl. Mech. A kind of vise, usually of wood.
 Blood clam. See under Blood.


 Venus mercenaria
      n : an edible American clam [syn: quahog, quahaug, {hard-shell
          clam, round clam, Mercenaria mercenaria]