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).
Nearby words
cambuluc, cambyses, camcorder, camden, came, camel, camel case, camel cricket, camel grass, camel hair, camel spin
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
Examples 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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Word Origin and History for camel
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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with camel
camel
see under last straw.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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