Meanings
nounlittleneck (plural littlenecks)
plural littlenecks
- USA small hard clam, larger than a countneck but smaller than a topneck.
Put a few dozen washed littlenecks in a large, hot skillet with olive oil.
2007 July 18, Mark Bittman, “Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less”, in New York Times
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna quahog when young and small; usually eaten raw; an important food popular in New York
Similar
littleneck clam
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Ellipsis of littleneck clam; from little + neck.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
littleneck. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/littleneck
MLA
“littleneck.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/littleneck. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “littleneck,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/littleneck.
Source: littleneck on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.