camel

American  

[kam-uhl] / ˈkæm əl /

noun

• camels
  plural

1. either of two large, humped, ruminant quadrupeds of the genus Camelus, of the Old World.

2. a color ranging from yellowish tan to yellowish brown.

3. Also called camel spin. Skating. a spin done in an arabesque position.

4. Nautical.

   1. Also called pontoon. a float for lifting a deeply laden vessel sufficiently to allow it to cross an area of shallow water.

   2. a float serving as a fender between a vessel and a pier or the like.

   3. caisson.

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camel British  

/ ˈkæməl /

noun

1. either of two cud-chewing artiodactyl mammals of the genus Camelus : family Camelidae. They are adapted for surviving long periods without food or water in desert regions, esp by using humps on the back for storing fat See Arabian camel Bactrian camel

2. a float attached to a vessel to increase its buoyancy See also caisson

3. a raft or float used as a fender between a vessel and a wharf

4. 1. a fawn colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a camel dress

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camel Idioms  

1. see under last straw.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• camellike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• camels
  plural

Etymology

Origin of camel

before 950; Middle English, Old English < Latin camēlus < Greek kámēlos < Semitic; compare Hebrew gāmāl

Explanation

A camel is a four-legged desert animal that's slightly larger than a horse. Camels are distinctive for the humps on their backs. There are two types of camels: the single-humped or dromedary and the two-humped camel. The first kind lives in the Middle East and parts of Africa, while the second is found in Central Asia. All camels are well-suited to life in the desert, going long periods without water and able to withstand high heat. The word camel comes from the Greek kamelos, and may be related to the Arabic jamala, "to bear."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

camel camels

"I can see my camels suffering from extreme heat," Ali Umer, a camel herder from Semera in Afar, told the BBC.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Mine is a shade of camel that my haberdasher insists on calling “whiskey.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Without management, camel populations could double every eight years, South Australia's primary industries department says.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

Among the video’s more surreal moments are depictions of Trump riding a camel through the desert, traveling through India on a motorcycle, appearing as an anime-style warrior and sharing tacos with world leaders.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026

I sat down on the camel saddle, wishing I could stop time.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

She rode camels in Egypt, cruised the Nile River and hugged the pillars at Stonehenge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Obviously, clambering up and down the dangerously steep pass, ferrying goods on horseback or by mule or — for a few wacky, experimental months in the mid-1850s, Army camels — wasn’t workable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

This is why many herders in Ethiopia have moved their camels from the northern region, where the animals were found historically, to the south where water and vegetation are relatively available, experts there say.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Trainer Kyrraley Woodhouse, who started camel racing professionally in 2013, said most of his camels had been taken from the wild to run in the Marree event, which drew more than a dozen competitors.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

Mountainous piles of cages wobbled on the camels behind him.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• cream
• khaki
• off-white
• tan
• taupe