Main Entry:

cam·el

Pronunciation:

\ˈka-məl\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old English & Anglo-French, from Latin camelus, from Greek kamēlos, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew gāmāl camel

Date:

before 12th century

1: either of two large ruminant mammals (genus Camelus) 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 —called also dromedary b: the 2-humped camel (C. bactrianus syn. C. ferus) of Chinese Turkestan and Mongolia —called also Bactrian camel 2: a watertight structure used especially to lift submerged ships3: a light yellowish brown

[camel illustration]