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chameleonlike

 - 2 dictionary results

cha⋅me⋅le⋅on

  [kuh-mee-lee-uhn, -meel-yuhn]
Use chameleonlike in a Sentence
–noun
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.
Origin:
1300–50; var. of chamaeleon < L < Gk chamailéōn, equiv. to chamaí on the ground, dwarf (akin to humus ) + léōn lion; r. ME camelion < MF < L, as above

Related forms:
cha⋅me⋅le⋅on⋅ic  [kuh-mee-lee-on-ik] , adjective
cha⋅me⋅le⋅on⋅like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

chameleon 
1340, from O.Fr. chaméléon, from L. chamaeleon, from Gk. khamaileon, from khamai "on the ground" (also "dwarf"), akin to chthon "earth" + leon "lion." Figurative sense of "variable person" is 1582. It was formerly supposed to live on air (cf. "Hamlet" III.ii.98).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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