camel

[ kam-uhl ]

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.
3. Also called camel spin. Skating. a spin done in an arabesque position.
4. Nautical.
   1. Also called pontoon. a float for lifting a deeply laden vessel sufficiently to allow it to cross an area of shallow water.
   2. a float serving as a fender between a vessel and a pier or the like.
   3. caisson ( def 3a ).

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
3. a raft or float used as a fender between a vessel and a wharf
4. 1. a fawn colour
   2. ( as adjective )

      a camel dress

Other Words From

• cam·el·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of camel¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of camel¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

see under last straw .

Example Sentences

For them, the desert is home, where they cultivate date palms and raise herds of goats, sheep and camels.

From Salon

“It is the straw that has broken the camel’s back,” is how one farming source put it to me.

From BBC

The row appears to be "the straw breaking the camel’s back," says Mr Cooper.

From BBC

Earlier this year, Stuart Moss from Mossy's Shoe Repairs in Salisbury, Wiltshire, received a phone call asking him to make shoes for one of Lady Chichester's camels.

From BBC

The camel herders and small-scale farmers we met are on the front line of climate change here.

From BBC

Related Words

• cream
• khaki
• off-white
• tan
• taupe