dromedary

American  

[drom-i-der-ee, druhm-] / ˈdrɒm ɪˌdɛr i, ˈdrʌm- /

noun

• dromedaries
  plural

1. the single-humped camel, Camelus dromedarius, of Arabia and northern Africa.

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dromedary British  

/ ˈdrʌmədərɪ, ˈdrɒm-, -drɪ /

noun

1. a type of Arabian camel bred for racing and riding, having a single hump and long slender legs

2. another name for Arabian camel

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dromedaries
  plural

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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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Compare meaning

How does dromedary compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Bactrian camel vs. dromedary

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dromedary dromedaries

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

The Nats are not desperate enough — yet — to use a dromedary as a relief pitcher to get them over their late-inning hump.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 18, 2019

The great heat and drought which prevail in Maranhao, Piauhy, Matto Grosso, and that direction generally, is eminently suitable to the dromedary, which does not thrive in hot damp weather.

From Narrative of the Circumnavigation of the Globe by the Austrian Frigate Novara, Volume I (Commodore B. Von Wullerstorf-Urbair,) Undertaken by Order of the Imperial Government in the Years 1857, 1858, & 1859, Under the Immediate Auspices of His I. and R. Highness the Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, Commander-In-Chief of the Austrian Navy. by Karl Ritter von Scherzer

Q. Rep. Gohmert, what do you call two dromedaries crossing a desert?

From Washington Post ● Oct. 10, 2019

Prof Gary Stephens said: "Llamas and other dromedaries, such as camels, have been found to produce nano antibodies which are much smaller than those of humans."

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2019

Unsurprisingly, he’s as fascinated by dromedaries and a squawking vulture as he is the humans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2017

Tests on 203 dromedaries from different parts of Saudi Arabia found evidence of past infection in about 75 percent overall, with higher rates in some regions.

From New York Times ● Feb. 25, 2014

We’re greeted by the grunts and complaints of distressed dromedaries.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

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