camel
[ kam-uh l ]
/ ˈkæm əl /
noun
either of two large, humped, ruminant quadrupeds of the genus Camelus, of the Old World.
Compare Bactrian camel, dromedary.
a color ranging from yellowish tan to yellowish brown.
Also called camel spin. Skating.
a spin done in an arabesque position.
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.
- caisson(def 3a).
Origin of camel
before 950; Middle English, Old English < Latin
camēlus < Greek
kámēlos < Semitic; compare Hebrew
gāmāl
OTHER WORDS FROM camel
cam·el·like, adjectiveWords nearby camel
cambs,
cambyses,
camcorder,
camden,
came,
camel,
camel case,
camel cricket,
camel grass,
camel hair,
camel spin
Example sentences from the Web for camel
British Dictionary definitions for camel
camel
/ (ˈkæməl) /
noun
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
a float attached to a vessel to increase its buoyancy
See also caisson (def. 3)
a raft or float used as a fender between a vessel and a wharf
- a fawn colour
- (as adjective)a camel dress
Word Origin for camel
Old English, from Latin
camēlus, from Greek
kamēlos, of Semitic origin; related to Arabic
jamal
Idioms and Phrases with camel
camel
see under last straw.