dromedary

American  

[drom-i-der-ee, druhm-] / ˈdrɒm ɪˌdɛr i, ˈdrʌm- /

noun

• dromedaries
  plural

1. the single-humped camel, Camelus dromedarius, of Arabia and northern Africa.

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dromedary British  

/ ˈdrʌmədərɪ, ˈdrɒm-, -drɪ /

noun

1. a type of Arabian camel bred for racing and riding, having a single hump and long slender legs

2. another name for Arabian camel

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dromedaries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of dromedary

1300–50; Middle English dromedarie, -ary (< Anglo-French ) < Late Latin dromedārius ( camēlus ) < Greek dromad- (stem of dromás ) running + Latin -ārius -ary

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Compare meaning

How does dromedary compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Bactrian camel vs. dromedary

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Explanation

A dromedary is a type of camel. In parts of North Africa, it's popular for riders to race dromedaries. Another name for the dromedary is the "Arabian camel." Dromedaries are the tallest type of camel, and they always have a single (rather than double) hump on their backs. Despite their height, dromedaries tend to be strong, fast, and light, which is why they have been used for racing. The Late Latin dromedarius means "kind of camel," from a Greek root, dromas kamelos, "running camel."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dromedary dromedaries

The WHO said there were no signs the man had come into contact with dromedary camels, which spread the disease that is separate from COVID-19.

From Reuters ● Jul. 24, 2023

Backdropped by the surprisingly tall Atlas Mountains, kooky Viennese artist André Heller’s nearly five-acre compound bursts with bright, Instagram-ready sculptures like a wacky, tile-covered, life-size dromedary and a Keith Haring coffin cover.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 1, 2019

We joke about Judy’s dromedary days still, how she would drag her fluid-filled lump across the living-room floor, taking uncertain, lopsided hops that audibly sloshed.

From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2018

Some rummaging around, Muyldermans says, turned up an alternative: a stash of frozen dromedary camel serum collected to study the animals' parasites.

From Science Magazine ● May 10, 2018

He nimbly mounts the crupper of his now unladen dromedary, and at a trot moves down the bazaar on his way back to the town of Lahedge.

From The Highlands of Ethiopia by William Cornwallis Harris

Q. Rep. Gohmert, what do you call two dromedaries crossing a desert?

From Washington Post ● Oct. 10, 2019

Prof Gary Stephens said: "Llamas and other dromedaries, such as camels, have been found to produce nano antibodies which are much smaller than those of humans."

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2019

Unsurprisingly, he’s as fascinated by dromedaries and a squawking vulture as he is the humans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2017

Tests on 203 dromedaries from different parts of Saudi Arabia found evidence of past infection in about 75 percent overall, with higher rates in some regions.

From New York Times ● Feb. 25, 2014

We’re greeted by the grunts and complaints of distressed dromedaries.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

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