Camel
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).
Contemporary Examples
The Senate’s Scary Health Care Deal Tunku Varadarajan December 8, 2009
Yemen’s Enigmatic Ruler Anonymous April 1, 2011
Paris Fashion Week Kicks Off Robin Givhan September 30, 2011
On Foot in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco Joanna Eede January 21, 2014
Big Tobacco’s Biggest Lies Gideon Resnick January 19, 2014
Historical Examples
The Brown Fairy Book Andrew Lang
The Devil’s Dictionary Ambrose Bierce
The Pacha of Many Tales Frederick Marryat
It Happened in Egypt C. N. Williamson
The Lance of Kanana Harry W. French
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 (sense 3)
a raft or float used as a fender between a vessel and a wharf
a fawn colour
(as adjective): a camel dress
n.
see under last straw
Read Also:
- Camelback
the back of a camel: They traveled through the desert on camelback. a curved back of a sofa or chair, having a central rising section between two lower sections. having a shape resembling the humped back of a camel. on camelback: to ride camelback. Historical Examples Captured by the Arabs James H. Foster The Little […]
- Camel-case
the convention of writing compound words or phrases with no spaces and an initial lowercase or uppercase letter, with each remaining word element beginning with an uppercase letter: iPod and WikiAnswers are both spelled in camel case.
- Camel-cricket
cave cricket.
- Camel-grass
a grass, Cymbopogon schoenanthus, of southern Asia and northern Africa, having fragrant foliage. Historical Examples A Desert Drama A. Conan Doyle
- Camels-hair-
the hair of the camel, used especially for cloth, painters’ brushes, and Oriental rugs. a soft cloth made of this hair, or of a substitute, usually yellowish tan to yellowish brown in color. made of camel’s hair. noun See camel hair