"clam up" meaning in All languages combined

See clam up on Wiktionary

Verb [English]

Audio: en-au-clam up.ogg [Australia] Forms: clams up [present, singular, third-person], clamming up [participle, present], clammed up [participle, past], clammed up [past]
Etymology: By analogy with a clam closing itself. Compare clamshell (“mouth”), clam (“mouth”). Etymology templates: {{m|en|clam}} clam, {{m|en|clamshell|id=mouth|t=mouth}} clamshell (“mouth”), {{m|en|clam|id=mouth|t=mouth}} clam (“mouth”) Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} clam up (third-person singular simple present clams up, present participle clamming up, simple past and past participle clammed up)
  1. (intransitive, informal) To become silent; to stop talking, to shut up. Tags: informal, intransitive Categories (topical): Talking Synonyms: shut up, shut up like a clam [idiomatic] Translations (become silent): tevel (Breton), zwijgen (Dutch), zijn mond houden (Dutch), silenti (Esperanto), hiljetä (Finnish), la fermer [colloquial] (French), fermer son clapet [colloquial] (French), fermer son claque-merde [vulgar] (French), la boucler [informal] (French), schweigen (German), σωπαίνω (sopaíno) (Greek), tacere (Italian), 黙ってしまう (damatte shimau) (alt: だまってしまう) (Japanese), үндемеу (ündemeu) (Kazakh), zwiege (Limburgish), uɓuriha (Maore Comorian), whakangūngū (Maori), jaskkodit (Northern Sami), jávohuvvat (Northern Sami), fechar-se (Portuguese), замолка́ть (zamolkátʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), замолча́ть (zamolčátʹ) [perfective] (Russian), callarse (Spanish), tiga (Swedish), yánunu (Záparo)
    Sense id: en-clam_up-en-verb-2SD6h7og Disambiguation of Talking: 96 4 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English phrasal verbs with particle (up), English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 83 17 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 88 12 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (up): 85 15 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 89 11 Disambiguation of 'become silent': 82 18
  2. (transitive, intransitive) To make or become clammy. Tags: intransitive, transitive
    Sense id: en-clam_up-en-verb-Y2O5xecX

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for clam up meaning in All languages combined (6.0kB)

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "talk"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "clam"
      },
      "expansion": "clam",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "clamshell",
        "id": "mouth",
        "t": "mouth"
      },
      "expansion": "clamshell (“mouth”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "clam",
        "id": "mouth",
        "t": "mouth"
      },
      "expansion": "clam (“mouth”)",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "By analogy with a clam closing itself. Compare clamshell (“mouth”), clam (“mouth”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "clams up",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clamming up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clammed up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clammed up",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "clam up (third-person singular simple present clams up, present participle clamming up, simple past and past participle clammed up)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "83 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "88 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (up)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "89 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "96 4",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Talking",
          "orig": "en:Talking",
          "parents": [
            "Human behaviour",
            "Language",
            "Human",
            "Communication",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1986, Paul Chadwick, Concrete: Under the Desert Stars, Dark Horse Books",
          "text": "Maybe he … or she … was a witness who refused to clam up … a whistle blower …",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To become silent; to stop talking, to shut up."
      ],
      "id": "en-clam_up-en-verb-2SD6h7og",
      "links": [
        [
          "silent",
          "silent"
        ],
        [
          "stop",
          "stop"
        ],
        [
          "talking",
          "talking"
        ],
        [
          "shut up",
          "shut up"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, informal) To become silent; to stop talking, to shut up."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "word": "shut up"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "tags": [
            "idiomatic"
          ],
          "word": "shut up like a clam"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "br",
          "lang": "Breton",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "tevel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "zwijgen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "zijn mond houden"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "silenti"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "hiljetä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "la fermer"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "fermer son clapet"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "fermer son claque-merde"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "tags": [
            "informal"
          ],
          "word": "la boucler"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "schweigen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "sopaíno",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "σωπαίνω"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "tacere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "alt": "だまってしまう",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "damatte shimau",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "黙ってしまう"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "kk",
          "lang": "Kazakh",
          "roman": "ündemeu",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "үндемеу"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "li",
          "lang": "Limburgish",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "zwiege"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "swb",
          "lang": "Maore Comorian",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "uɓuriha"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "whakangūngū"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "se",
          "lang": "Northern Sami",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "jaskkodit"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "se",
          "lang": "Northern Sami",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "jávohuvvat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "fechar-se"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zamolkátʹ",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "замолка́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zamolčátʹ",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "замолча́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "callarse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "tiga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "82 18",
          "code": "zro",
          "lang": "Záparo",
          "sense": "become silent",
          "word": "yánunu"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To make or become clammy."
      ],
      "id": "en-clam_up-en-verb-Y2O5xecX",
      "links": [
        [
          "transitive",
          "transitive"
        ],
        [
          "intransitive",
          "intransitive"
        ],
        [
          "clammy",
          "clammy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, intransitive) To make or become clammy."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-clam up.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8e/En-au-clam_up.ogg/En-au-clam_up.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/En-au-clam_up.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "clam up"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "talk"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs with particle (up)",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English verbs",
    "en:Talking"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "clam"
      },
      "expansion": "clam",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "clamshell",
        "id": "mouth",
        "t": "mouth"
      },
      "expansion": "clamshell (“mouth”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "clam",
        "id": "mouth",
        "t": "mouth"
      },
      "expansion": "clam (“mouth”)",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "By analogy with a clam closing itself. Compare clamshell (“mouth”), clam (“mouth”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "clams up",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clamming up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clammed up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clammed up",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "clam up (third-person singular simple present clams up, present participle clamming up, simple past and past participle clammed up)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1986, Paul Chadwick, Concrete: Under the Desert Stars, Dark Horse Books",
          "text": "Maybe he … or she … was a witness who refused to clam up … a whistle blower …",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To become silent; to stop talking, to shut up."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "silent",
          "silent"
        ],
        [
          "stop",
          "stop"
        ],
        [
          "talking",
          "talking"
        ],
        [
          "shut up",
          "shut up"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, informal) To become silent; to stop talking, to shut up."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make or become clammy."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "transitive",
          "transitive"
        ],
        [
          "intransitive",
          "intransitive"
        ],
        [
          "clammy",
          "clammy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, intransitive) To make or become clammy."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-clam up.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8e/En-au-clam_up.ogg/En-au-clam_up.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/En-au-clam_up.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "shut up"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "word": "shut up like a clam"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "br",
      "lang": "Breton",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "tevel"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "zwijgen"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "zijn mond houden"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "silenti"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "hiljetä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "word": "la fermer"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "word": "fermer son clapet"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "tags": [
        "vulgar"
      ],
      "word": "fermer son claque-merde"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "word": "la boucler"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "schweigen"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "sopaíno",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "σωπαίνω"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "tacere"
    },
    {
      "alt": "だまってしまう",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "damatte shimau",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "黙ってしまう"
    },
    {
      "code": "kk",
      "lang": "Kazakh",
      "roman": "ündemeu",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "үндемеу"
    },
    {
      "code": "li",
      "lang": "Limburgish",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "zwiege"
    },
    {
      "code": "swb",
      "lang": "Maore Comorian",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "uɓuriha"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "whakangūngū"
    },
    {
      "code": "se",
      "lang": "Northern Sami",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "jaskkodit"
    },
    {
      "code": "se",
      "lang": "Northern Sami",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "jávohuvvat"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "fechar-se"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zamolkátʹ",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "замолка́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zamolčátʹ",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "замолча́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "callarse"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "tiga"
    },
    {
      "code": "zro",
      "lang": "Záparo",
      "sense": "become silent",
      "word": "yánunu"
    }
  ],
  "word": "clam up"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-16 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (e268c0e and 304864d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.