资料来源 : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

   2. Drawn out or extended in time; continued through a
      considerable tine, or to a great length; as, a long series
      of events; a long debate; a long drama; a long history; a
      long book.

   3. Slow in passing; causing weariness by length or duration;
      lingering; as, long hours of watching.

   4. Occurring or coming after an extended interval; distant in
      time; far away.

            The we may us reserve both fresh and strong Against
            the tournament, which is not long.    --Spenser.

   5. Extended to any specified measure; of a specified length;
      as, a span long; a yard long; a mile long, that is,
      extended to the measure of a mile, etc.

   6. Far-reaching; extensive. `` Long views.'' --Burke.

   7. (Phonetics) Prolonged, or relatively more prolonged, in
      utterance; -- said of vowels and syllables. See {Short},
      a., 13, and Guide to Pronunciation, [sect][sect] 22, 30.

   Note: Long is used as a prefix in a large number of compound
         adjectives which are mostly of obvious meaning; as,
         long-armed, long-beaked, long-haired, long-horned,
         long-necked, long-sleeved, long-tailed, long- worded,
         etc.

   {In the long run}, in the whole course of things taken
      together; in the ultimate result; eventually.

   {Long clam} (Zo["o]l.), the common clam ({Mya arenaria}) of
      the Northern United States and Canada; -- called also
      {soft-shell clam} and {long-neck clam}. See {Mya}.

   {Long cloth}, a kind of cotton cloth of superior quality.

   {Long clothes}, clothes worn by a young infant, extending
      below the feet.

   {Long division}. (Math.) See {Division}.

   {Long dozen}, one more than a dozen; thirteen.

   {Long home}, the grave.

   {Long measure}, {Long mater}. See under {Measure}, {Meter}.
      

   {Long Parliament} (Eng. Hist.), the Parliament which
      assembled Nov. 3, 1640, and was dissolved by Cromwell,
      April 20, 1653.

   {Long price}, the full retail price.

   {Long purple} (Bot.), a plant with purple flowers, supposed
      to be the {Orchis mascula}. --Dr. Prior.

   {Long suit} (Whist), a suit of which one holds originally
      more than three cards. --R. A. Proctor.

   {Long tom}.
      (a) A pivot gun of great length and range, on the dock of
          a vessel.
      (b) A long trough for washing auriferous earth. [Western
          U.S.]
      (c) (Zo["o]l.) The long-tailed titmouse.

   {Long wall} (Coal Mining), a working in which the whole seam
      is removed and the roof allowed to fall in, as the work
      progresses, except where passages are needed.

   {Of long}, a long time. [Obs.] --Fairfax.

   {To be}, or {go}, {long of the market}, {To be on the long
   side of the market}, etc. (Stock Exchange), to hold stock for
      a rise in price, or to have a contract under which one can
      demand stock on or before a certain day at a stipulated
      price; -- opposed to {short} in such phrases as, to be
      short of stock, to sell short, etc. [Cant] See {Short}.

   {To have a long head}, to have a farseeing or sagacious mind.

Soft \Soft\, a. [Compar. {Softer}; superl. {Softest}.] [OE.
   softe, AS. s?fte, properly adv. of s?fte, adj.; akin to OS.
   s[=a]fto, adv., D. zacht, OHG. samfto, adv., semfti, adj., G.
   sanft, LG. sacht; of uncertain origin.]
   1. Easily yielding to pressure; easily impressed, molded, or
      cut; not firm in resisting; impressible; yielding; also,
      malleable; -- opposed to {hard}; as, a soft bed; a soft
      peach; soft earth; soft wood or metal.

   2. Not rough, rugged, or harsh to the touch; smooth;
      delicate; fine; as, soft silk; a soft skin.

            They that wear soft clothing are in king's houses.
                                                  --Matt. xi. 8.

   3. Hence, agreeable to feel, taste, or inhale; not irritating
      to the tissues; as, a soft liniment; soft wines. ``The
      soft, delicious air.'' --Milton.

   4. Not harsh or offensive to the sight; not glaring; pleasing
      to the eye; not exciting by intensity of color or violent
      contrast; as, soft hues or tints.

            The sun, shining upon the upper part of the clouds .
            . . made the softest lights imaginable. --Sir T.
                                                  Browne.

   5. Not harsh or rough in sound; gentle and pleasing to the
      ear; flowing; as, soft whispers of music.

            Her voice was ever soft, Gentle, and low, -- an
            excellent thing in woman.             --Shak.

            Soft were my numbers; who could take offense?
                                                  --Pope.

   6. Easily yielding; susceptible to influence; flexible;
      gentle; kind.

            I would to God my heart were flint, like Edward's;
            Or Edward's soft and pitiful, like mine. --Shak.

            The meek or soft shall inherit the earth. --Tyndale.

   7. Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild;
      conciliatory; courteous; kind; as, soft eyes.

            A soft answer turneth away wrath.     --Prov. xv. 1.

            A face with gladness overspread, Soft smiles, by
            human kindness bred.                  --Wordsworth.

   8. Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak.

            A longing after sensual pleasures is a dissolution
            of the spirit of a man, and makes it loose, soft,
            and wandering.                        --Jer. Taylor.

   9. Gentle in action or motion; easy.

            On her soft axle, white she paces even, And bears
            thee soft with the smooth air along.  --Milton.

   10. Weak in character; impressible.

             The deceiver soon found this soft place of Adam's.
                                                  --Glanvill.

   11. Somewhat weak in intellect. [Colloq.]

             He made soft fellows stark noddies, and such as
             were foolish quite mad.              --Burton.

   12. Quiet; undisturbed; paceful; as, soft slumbers.

   13. Having, or consisting of, a gentle curve or curves; not
       angular or abrupt; as, soft outlines.

   14. Not tinged with mineral salts; adapted to decompose soap;
       as, soft water is the best for washing.

   15. (Phonetics)
       (a) Applied to a palatal, a sibilant, or a dental
           consonant (as g in gem, c in cent, etc.) as
           distinguished from a guttural mute (as g in go, c in
           cone, etc.); -- opposed to {hard}.
       (b) Belonging to the class of sonant elements as
           distinguished from the surd, and considered as
           involving less force in utterance; as, b, d, g, z, v,
           etc., in contrast with p, t, k, s, f, etc.

   {Soft clam} (Zo["o]l.), the common or long clam ({Mya
      arenaria}). See {Mya}.

   {Soft coal}, bituminous coal, as distinguished from
      anthracite, or hard, coal.

   {Soft crab} (Zo["o]l.), any crab which has recently shed its
      shell.

   {Soft dorsal} (Zo["o]l.), the posterior part of the dorsal
      fin of fishes when supported by soft rays.

   {Soft grass}. (Bot.) See {Velvet grass}.

   {Soft money}, paper money, as distinguished from coin, or
      hard money. [Colloq. U.S.]

   {Soft mute}. (Phonetics) See {Media}.

   {Soft palate}. See the Note under {Palate}.

   {Soft ray} (Zo["o]l.), a fin ray which is articulated and
      usually branched.

   {Soft soap}. See under {Soap}.

   {Soft-tack}, leavened bread, as distinguished from
      {hard-tack}, or {ship bread}.

   {Soft tortoise} (Zo["o]l.), any river tortoise of the genus
      Trionyx. See {Trionyx}.

Clam \Clam\, n. [Cf. {Clamp}, {Clam}, v. t., {Clammy}.]
   1. (Zo["o]l.) 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
            coclke; 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}.

资料来源 : WordNet®

Mya arenaria
     n : an edible clam with thin oval-shaped shell found in coastal
         regions of the United States and Europe [syn: {soft-shell
         clam}, {steamer}, {steamer clam}, {long-neck clam}]