chameleon
[ kuh-mee-lee-uhn, -meel-yuhn ]
/ kəˈmi li ən, -ˈmil yən /
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noun
any of numerous Old World lizards of the family Chamaeleontidae, characterized by the ability to change the color of their skin, very slow locomotion, and a projectile tongue.
any of several American lizards capable of changing the color of the skin, especially Anolis carolinensis(American chameleon ), of the southeastern U.S.
a changeable, fickle, or inconstant person.
(initial capital letter)Astronomy. Chamaeleon.
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Origin of chameleon
OTHER WORDS FROM chameleon
cha·me·le·on·ic [kuh-mee-lee-on-ik], /kəˌmi liˈɒn ɪk/, adjectivecha·me·le·on·like, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use chameleon in a sentence
Like a chameleon, they’ve got claws, scales, massive eye sockets, and a double-jointed neck that isn’t very characteristic of today’s amphibians.
This weird Cretaceous amphibian has the oldest-recorded ballistic tongue|Sara Kiley Watson|November 11, 2020|Popular-ScienceAt the time, “we agreed that it was a chameleon,” says Stanley, who is also a coauthor on the new study.
An ancient amphibian is the oldest known animal with a slingshot tongue|Carolyn Gramling|November 5, 2020|Science NewsCreators Robert and Michelle King have toyed with the audience here, creating in Kalinda a chameleonic character.
British Dictionary definitions for chameleon
chameleon
/ (kəˈmiːlɪən) /
noun
any lizard of the family Chamaeleontidae of Africa and Madagascar, having long slender legs, a prehensile tail and tongue, and the ability to change colour
a changeable or fickle person
Derived forms of chameleon
chameleonic (kəˌmiːlɪˈɒnɪk), adjectivechameleon-like, adjectiveWord Origin for chameleon
C14: from Latin chamaeleon, from Greek khamaileōn, from khamai on the ground + leōn lion
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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