Illustration of camel
- 1 dromedary
- 2 Bactrian camel
plural camels
1
: any of three large ruminant (see ruminant entry 1) mammals (genus Camelus) that have one or two large humps of stored fat on the back and are used as draft and saddle animals in desert regions especially of Africa and Asia:
a
: the one-humped camel (C. dromedarius) extant only as a domestic or feral animal : dromedary
b
: the 2-humped camels (C. bactrianus and C. ferus) of desert and steppe regions of northwestern China and southwestern Mongolia : bactrian camel
2
: a watertight structure used especially to lift submerged ships
3
: a light yellowish brown
4
a
: camel hair sense 2
"… So we're going to look for more luxury fabrics—cashmere, camel, alpaca and … lambswools."—
Paul Diamond
—usually used before another nounPaul Diamonda genuine camel coat
b
: leather made from the skin of a camel
They all have four-digit price tags and are crafted from luxe leathers like buffalo, calfskin and camel.—Georgina Safe
—usually used before another nounGeorgina Safecamel leather
Examples of camel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In keeping with Hollywood's love of winter whites, a white base layer complete with a camel overcoat and over-the-knee boots instantly feels chic.
—Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
Instead of a classic camel hue, embrace the season’s deeper tones like this olive trench from Everlane.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
There are camels, horses, and fat bikes to ride through the seemingly endless sands and spa treatments that use Arabian dates and coffee.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026
The pants come in four colors, including white, camel, olive green, and navy, plus petite sizes 00 to 18.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for camel
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
Instead of a classic camel hue, embrace the season’s deeper tones like this olive trench from Everlane.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
There are camels, horses, and fat bikes to ride through the seemingly endless sands and spa treatments that use Arabian dates and coffee.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 30 Jan. 2026
The pants come in four colors, including white, camel, olive green, and navy, plus petite sizes 00 to 18.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for camel
Cite this Entry
“Camel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/camel. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
