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definitions

camber

[kam-ber]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR camber ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with or without object)

to arch slightly; bend or curve upward in the middle.

noun

a slight arching, upward curve, or convexity, as of the deck of a ship.
a slightly arching piece of timber.
Aeronautics. the rise of the curve of an airfoil, usually expressed as the ratio of the rise to the length of the chord of the airfoil.
Automotive. the outward or inward tilt of a wheel, called positive when the top tilts outward and negative when it tilts inward, measured as the angle, in degrees, between the vertical and a plane through the circumference of the tire.

Origin of camber

1610–20; < Middle French (north) cambre bent < Latin camur hooked, curved
Related formsun·cam·bered, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for camber

leaning, trajectory, arc, arch, contour, loop, flex, crouch, incline, veer, tilt, buckle, stoop, lean, bow, twist, curl, gradient, rake, diagonal

Examples from the Web for camber

Historical Examples of camber

  • The practice is to give these girder boxes a camber of ½-in.

    Concrete Construction

    Halbert P. Gillette

  • The camber of the surface is designed for this angle of incidence and velocity.

  • They have not as great a curve 107 or camber as most biplanes, which increases their speed.

  • I wonder if you fully realize the danger of your position, Mr. Camber?

    Bat Wing

    Sax Rohmer

  • That is why we are here, Mr. Camber, and that is why the police will be here at any moment.

    Bat Wing

    Sax Rohmer

British Dictionary definitions for camber

camber

noun

a slight upward curve to the centre of the surface of a road, ship's deck, etc
another name for bank 2 (def. 7)
an outward inclination of the front wheels of a road vehicle so that they are slightly closer together at the bottom than at the top
Also called: hog a small arching curve of a beam or girder provided to lessen deflection and improve appearance
aerofoil curvature expressed by the ratio of the maximum height of the aerofoil mean line to its chord

verb

to form or be formed with a surface that curves upwards to its centre

Word Origin for camber

C17: from Old French (northern dialect) cambre curved, from Latin camurus; related to camera chamber
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for camber
n.

1610s, nautical term, from Old French cambre, chambre "bent," from Latin camurum (nominative camur) "crooked, arched;" related to camera.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper