camel
[kam-uh l]
- either of two large, humped, ruminant quadrupeds of the genus Camelus, of the Old World.Compare Bactrian camel, dromedary.
- a color ranging from yellowish tan to yellowish brown.
- Also called camel spin. Skating. a spin done in an arabesque position.
- Nautical.
- Also called pontoon.a float for lifting a deeply laden vessel sufficiently to allow it to cross an area of shallow water.
- a float serving as a fender between a vessel and a pier or the like.
- caisson(def 3a).
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Origin of camel
before 950; Middle English, Old English < Latin camēlus < Greek kámēlos < Semitic; compare Hebrew gāmāl
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
tancreamtaupekhakicameloff-whitefawnmushroomneutraloatmealecrubuffbiscuitsandhoghorsecowelephantpigswineExamples from the Web for camel
Contemporary Examples
In short: It is so convenient that it makes a taxi seem about as high-tech as a camel.
There was something rather theatrical—surreal even—about walking into camp accompanied by a camel caravan later that evening.
Later, I fell asleep to the sound of Lhoucine gently coaxing his camel and faint ululating from a distant stone cottage.
Joe would often appear looking suave or cool in various brightly colored situations - as cool as a man with a camel face can look.
Joe Camel: For about a decade beginning in 1987, Camel started to market its products using a mascot called “Old Joe.”
Historical Examples
There's nothing like sitting still after a windy day on camel back.
It Happened in EgyptC. N. Williamson
I hadn't been on a camel since I was four, if then, so it was useless to follow.
It Happened in EgyptC. N. Williamson
There are two kinds of camels—the camel proper and the camel improper.
The Devil's DictionaryAmbrose Bierce
And he sold his camel yesterday and bought a bicycle instead.
The Book of KhalidAmeen Rihani
Behold, your friend the kaimkam is gloomy and impassive as a camel; what can you do?
The Book of KhalidAmeen Rihani
camel
- 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 fatSee Arabian camel, Bactrian camel
- a float attached to a vessel to increase its buoyancySee also caisson (def. 3)
- a raft or float used as a fender between a vessel and a wharf
- a fawn colour
- (as adjective)a camel dress
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Word Origin
Old English, from Latin camēlus, from Greek kamēlos, of Semitic origin; related to Arabic jamal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for camel
n.
Old English camel, perhaps via Old North French camel (Old French chamel, Modern French chameau), from Latin camelus, from Greek kamelos, from Hebrew or Phoenician gamal, perhaps related to Arabic jamala "to bear."
Another Old English word for the beast was olfend, apparently based on confusion of camels with elephants in a place and time when both were known only from travelers' vague descriptions. The Arabian have one hump (the lighter variety is the dromedary); the Bactrian have two.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with camel
camel
see under last straw.
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.