1. outdoor parties or gatherings where clams and other seafood are cooked, typically by steaming in a pit lined with hot stones and seaweed
Usage: plural of clambake
2. any large, festive outdoor gatherings or social events
Usage: informal; by extension from the seafood meaning

Examples

• The coastal town hosts several clambakes every summer for tourists.
• Traditional New England clambakes include lobster, corn, and potatoes.
• We attended three different clambakes during our vacation on Cape Cod.
• The family reunion featured one of the best clambakes I’ve ever been to.
• Local restaurants advertise their weekend clambakes in the newspaper.
• These political clambakes always draw huge crowds during election season.