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

The Afar region of north-eastern Ethiopia is one of the hottest and driest places on Earth, where nomads often lead camel caravans carrying salt through the desert.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Now, estimates of the wild camel population range from 300,000 to a million animals.

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

It rumbles and undulates across the floor, like a lonely camel enduring across a windswept desert.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

The brown spread quickly toward the center, swallowing Grandma, then the camel, and finally Dad s woolen hat.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang

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

For camels this means when heat stress sets in, their metabolism slows down to limit internal heat production leading to sharp reduction in food intake resulting in lethargy and generalised fatigue.

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

Mara and Smithy rode their camels in silent conversation.

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

Related Words

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