camel
[ kam-uh l ]
/ ˈkæm əl /
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, camel case, camel cricket, camel grass, camel hair, camel spin
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
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
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Idioms and Phrases with camel
camel
see under last straw.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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