chamois

[ sham-ee; French sha-mwah ]

noun

, plural cham·ois, cham·oix [sham, -eez, sh, a, -, mwah].

1. an agile, goatlike antelope, Rupicapra rupicapra, of high mountains of Europe: now rare in some areas.
2. a soft, pliable leather from any of various skins dressed with oil, especially fish oil, originally prepared from the skin of the chamois.
3. a piece of this leather.
4. a cotton cloth finished to simulate this leather.
5. a medium to grayish yellow color.

verb (used with object)

, cham·oised [sham, -eed], cham·ois·ing [sham, -ee-ing].

1. to dress (a pelt) with oil in order to produce a chamois.
2. to rub or buff with a chamois.

chamois

/ ˈʃæmɪ; ʃamwa /

noun

1. ˈʃæmwɑː a sure-footed goat antelope, Rupicapra rupicapra, inhabiting mountains of Europe and SW Asia, having vertical horns with backward-pointing tips
2. a soft suede leather formerly made from the hide of this animal, now obtained from the skins of sheep and goats
3. Also calledchamois leathershammyshammy leatherchammychammy leatherˈʃæmɪ a piece of such leather or similar material used for polishing, etc
4. ˈʃæmwɑː
   1. a yellow to greyish-yellow colour
   2. (as modifier)

      a chamois stamp

verb

1. to dress (leather or skin) like chamois
2. to polish with a chamois

Word History and Origins

Origin of chamois¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French, from Late Latin camox, presumably of pre-Latin origin; gems

Word History and Origins

Origin of chamois¹

C16: from Old French, from Late Latin camox of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

By the time I became a reporter, I knew that Disney has long treated Anaheim as a political chamois, looking to squeeze as much as possible out of Orange County’s largest city.

From Los Angeles Times

Pia Anderwald, a researcher with the Swiss National Park in Zernez, Switzerland, who studies antelope-like chamois and other hoofed Alpine mammals, was not surprised by the number of goat avalanche deaths in the study.

From New York Times

To have a basis for comparing the neanderthal's results, the study also examined other animals from the region, including carnivores like wolves and lynxes and herbivores like rabbits and chamois.

From Salon

The man tucked the squeegee and chamois in his back pant pocket, picked up the bucket and brush, and headed toward the van.

From Literature

When he returned, she handed him a chamois cloth to clean them with.

From New York Times