an edible clam, Venus (Mercenaria) mercenaria, inhabiting waters along the Atlantic coast, having a relatively thick shell.
Also, quahaug.
Origin
1745-55, Americanism; < Narragansett (E spelling) poquaûhock
British Dictionary definitions for quahog
quahog
/ˈkoʊˌhɒɡ/
noun
1.
an edible clam, Venus (or Mercenaria) mercenaria, native to the Atlantic coast of North America, having a large heavy rounded shell Also called hard-shell clam, hard-shell, round clam Compare soft-shell clam
Word Origin
C18: from Narraganset, short for poquauhock, from pohkeni dark + hogki shell
1753 (quogue; Roger Williams had it as poquauhock, 1643), from an Algonquian language, perhaps Narragansett poquauhock or Pequot p'quaghhaug "hard clam."