[kuh-mee-lee-uh
n, -meel-yuhn] 
| 1. | 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. |
| 2. | any of several American lizards capable of changing the color of the skin, esp. Anolis carolinensis (American chameleon), of the southeastern U.S. |
| 3. | a changeable, fickle, or inconstant person. |
| 4. | (initial capital letter) Astronomy. Chamaeleon. |
| cha·me·leon (kə-mēl'yən, -mē'lē-ən) n.
[Middle English camelioun, from Latin chamaeleōn, from Greek khamaileōn : khamai, on the ground; see dhghem- in Indo-European roots + leōn, lion (loan translation of Akkadian nēš qaqqari, ground lion, lizard); see lion.] cha·me'le·on'ic (-lē-ŏn'ĭk) adj. Word History: The words referring to the animal chameleon and the plant chamomile are related etymologically by a reference to the place one would expect to find them, that is, on the ground. The first part of both words goes back to the Greek form khamai, meaning "on the ground." What is found on the ground in each case is quite different, of course. The khamaileōn is a "lion [leōn] on the ground," a term translating the Akkadian phrase nēš qaqqari. The khamaimēlon is "an apple [mēlon] on the ground," so named because the blossoms of at least one variety of this creeping herb have an applelike scent. Both words are first found in Middle English, chameleon in a work composed before 1382 and chamomile in a work written in 1373. |