chamois

American  

[sham-ee, sha-mwah] / ˈʃæm i, ʃaˈmwɑ /

noun

plural

chamois, chamoix

1. an agile, goatlike antelope, Rupicapra rupicapra, of high mountains of Europe: now rare in some areas.

2. a soft, pliable leather from any of various skins dressed with oil, especially fish oil, originally prepared from the skin of the chamois.

3. a piece of this leather.

4. a cotton cloth finished to simulate this leather.

5. a medium to grayish yellow color.

---

verb (used with object)

chamoised, chamoising

1. to dress (a pelt) with oil in order to produce a chamois.

2. to rub or buff with a chamois.

chamois British  

/ ˈʃæmɪ, ʃamwa /

noun

1. a sure-footed goat antelope, Rupicapra rupicapra, inhabiting mountains of Europe and SW Asia, having vertical horns with backward-pointing tips

2. a soft suede leather formerly made from the hide of this animal, now obtained from the skins of sheep and goats

3. Also called: chamois leather.   shammy.   shammy leather.   chammy.   chammy leather.  a piece of such leather or similar material used for polishing, etc

4. 1. a yellow to greyish-yellow colour

   2. (as modifier)

      a chamois stamp

---

verb

1. to dress (leather or skin) like chamois

2. to polish with a chamois

Etymology

Origin of chamois

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French, from Late Latin camox, presumably of pre-Latin origin; gems

Example Sentences

To have a basis for comparing the neanderthal's results, the study also examined other animals from the region, including carnivores like wolves and lynxes and herbivores like rabbits and chamois.

From Salon • Oct. 20, 2022

I moved the soapy sponge over the Datsun’s sinuous metalwork, dried it with a chamois, anointed it with Turtle Wax.

From Washington Post • Nov. 21, 2021

Olvera’s other research projects take him out of town, to study mainly chamois in the Pyrenees and Iberian ibex – ungulates, like the wild boar.

From The Guardian • Jul. 30, 2019

Mr. Niami took a chamois left behind by a maid and dusted an already spotless-looking shelf inside the champagne room, filled with $300,000 worth of Cristal.

From New York Times • Dec. 23, 2017

The map was ragged, so thumbed that it had grown as supple as a piece of chamois.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote