Cockle, or Cardium, L. a genus of small shell-fish, consisting of twenty-one species. They are commonly found on sandy coasts, and furnish a wholesome and agreeable food. When consumed in a raw state, cockles are supposed to produce poisonous effects: and, though we have no positive proofs in confirmation of this conjecture, it will be more prudent to boil and eat them with the addition of a little pepper and vinegar, or at least the latter, which at the same time promotes their digestion.