Chamaeleon

noun

Cha·​mae·​leon kə-ˈmēl-yən 

-ˈmē-lē-ən

1

: a large genus (the type of the family Chamaeleontidae) of lizards including most of the Old World chameleons compare rhiptoglossa

2

astronomy : a constellation visible near the south celestial pole that is represented by a figure of a chameleon

A search through observations by the Hubble Space Telescope identified the brown dwarf, which is in the constellation Chamaeleon, about 500 light-years away.

—Grand Rapid Press, 11 Dec. 2005

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, chameleon

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