American chameleon
see under (def 2).
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.
any of several american lizards capable of changing the color of the skin, especially anolis carolinensis (american chameleon) of the southeastern u.s.
a changeable, fickle, or inconstant person.
(initial capital letter) astronomy, .
historical examples
the common colors of the american chameleon or the anolis, which is its scientific name, are brown and green.
pathfinder alan douglas
noun
another name for anole
noun
any lizard of the family chamaeleontidae of africa and madagascar, having long slender legs, a prehensile tail and tongue, and the ability to change colour
a changeable or fickle person
n.
mid-14c., camelion, from old french caméléon, from latin chamaeleon, from greek khamaileon “the chameleon,” from khamai “on the ground” (also “dwarf”), akin to chthon “earth” (see chthonic) + leon “lion” (see lion). perhaps the large head-crest on some species was thought to resemble a lion’s mane. the cl-ssical -h- was restored in english early 18c. figurative sense of “variable person” is 1580s. it formerly was supposed to live on air (cf. “hamlet” iii.ii.98).
a species of lizard which has the faculty of changing the colour of its skin. it is ranked among the unclean animals in lev. 11:30, where the hebrew word so translated is _coah_ (r.v., “land crocodile”). in the same verse the hebrew _tanshemeth_, rendered in authorized version “mole,” is in revised version “chameleon,” which is the correct rendering. this animal is very common in egypt and in the holy land, especially in the jordan valley.
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