dromedary
Americannoun
noun
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a type of Arabian camel bred for racing and riding, having a single hump and long slender legs
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another name for Arabian camel
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dromedary
1300–50; Middle English dromedarie, -ary (< Anglo-French ) < Late Latin dromedārius ( camēlus ) < Greek dromad- (stem of dromás ) running + Latin -ārius -ary
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Explanation
A dromedary is a type of camel. In parts of North Africa, it's popular for riders to race dromedaries. Another name for the dromedary is the "Arabian camel." Dromedaries are the tallest type of camel, and they always have a single (rather than double) hump on their backs. Despite their height, dromedaries tend to be strong, fast, and light, which is why they have been used for racing. The Late Latin dromedarius means "kind of camel," from a Greek root, dromas kamelos, "running camel."
Vocabulary lists containing dromedary
2015 National Spelling Bee Words
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for December 18–December 24, 2021
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Adventures of Don Quixote
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Studies, some done by Drosten’s team, found 229E relatives in healthy dromedary camels in the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, firming up the theory.
From Science Magazine • Jan. 11, 2024
The WHO said there were no signs the man had come into contact with dromedary camels, which spread the disease that is separate from COVID-19.
From Reuters • Jul. 24, 2023
And the oryxes, and the Barbary sheep, and the Przewalski’s horses, the giraffes, the dromedary camels and a variety of other hoofed mammals.
From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2023
Al Dhafra also features falcon racing, dromedary dancing and a camel milking contest.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 23, 2021
One day, however, the dromedary became a stumbling-block to all the class; not one of them could remember the name of the beast.
From Aileen Aroon, A Memoir With other Tales of Faithful Friends and Favourites by Stables, Gordon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
