camel

[ kam-uhl ]
See synonyms for camel on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. either of two large, humped, ruminant quadrupeds of the genus Camelus, of the Old World.: Compare Bactrian camel, dromedary.

  2. a color ranging from yellowish tan to yellowish brown.

  1. Also called camel spin .Skating. a spin done in an arabesque position.

  2. 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.

Origin of camel

1
before 950; Middle English, Old English <Latin camēlus <Greek kámēlos <Semitic; compare Hebrew gāmāl

Other words from camel

  • cam·el·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for camel

camel

/ (ˈkæməl) /


noun
  1. 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 fat: See Arabian camel, Bactrian camel

  2. a float attached to a vessel to increase its buoyancy: See also caisson (def. 3)

  1. a raft or float used as a fender between a vessel and a wharf

    • a fawn colour

    • (as adjective): a camel dress

Origin of camel

1
Old English, from Latin camēlus, from Greek kamēlos, of Semitic origin; related to Arabic jamal

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with camel

camel

see under last straw.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.