camel
[ kam-uhl ]
/ ˈkæm əl /
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noun
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
OTHER WORDS FROM camel
cam·el·like, adjectiveWords nearby camel
Cambs, Cambyses, camcorder, Camden, came, camel, camelback, camel case, camel cricket, cameleer, camel grass
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for camel
British Dictionary definitions for camel
camel
/ (ˈkæməl) /
noun
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
Word Origin for camel
Old English, from Latin camēlus, from Greek kamēlos, of Semitic origin; related to Arabic jamal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with camel
camel
see under last straw.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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