camel

[kam-uh l]

See more synonyms for camel on Thesaurus.com

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.
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(def 3a).

Origin of camel

before 950; Middle English, Old English < Latin camēlus < Greek kámēlos < Semitic; compare Hebrew gāmāl

Related formscam·el·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for camel

tan, cream, taupe, khaki, camel, off-white, fawn, mushroom, neutral, oatmeal, ecru, buff, biscuit, sand, hog, horse, cow, elephant, pig, swine

Examples from the Web for camel

Contemporary Examples of camel

In short: It is so convenient that it makes a taxi seem about as high-tech as a camel.
Inside Uber’s Political War Machine
Olivia Nuzzi
June 30, 2014
There was something rather theatrical—surreal even—about walking into camp accompanied by a camel caravan later that evening.
On Foot in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco
Joanna Eede
January 22, 2014
Later, I fell asleep to the sound of Lhoucine gently coaxing his camel and faint ululating from a distant stone cottage.
On Foot in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco
Joanna Eede
January 22, 2014
Joe would often appear looking suave or cool in various brightly colored situations - as cool as a man with a camel face can look.
Big Tobacco’s Biggest Lies
Gideon Resnick
January 20, 2014
Joe Camel: For about a decade beginning in 1987, Camel started to market its products using a mascot called “Old Joe.”
Big Tobacco’s Biggest Lies
Gideon Resnick
January 20, 2014

Historical Examples of camel

There's nothing like sitting still after a windy day on camel back.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
I hadn't been on a camel since I was four, if then, so it was useless to follow.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
There are two kinds of camels—the camel proper and the camel improper.
The Devil's Dictionary
Ambrose Bierce
And he sold his camel yesterday and bought a bicycle instead.
The Book of Khalid
Ameen Rihani
Behold, your friend the kaimkam is gloomy and impassive as a camel; what can you do?
The Book of Khalid
Ameen Rihani

British Dictionary definitions for camel

camel

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
1. a fawn colour
2. (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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for camel

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.

Idioms and Phrases with camel

camel

see under last straw.