camel

noun

cam·el | \ˈka-məl

Definition of camel

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 : dromedary

b : the 2-humped camel (C. bactrianus synonym 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

Examples of camel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The music is hot, with horns adding spice to a bump-and-grind blues groove, while dancers hold hands and wind across the stage with stiff legs reminiscent of the camel walk. — Marcia Manna, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Choreographer Mark Morris interprets 50-year-old ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ songs as dance," 10 May 2018 But that wasn’t all researchers saw in their camel samples. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Camels in Africa may have been quietly spreading prion disease for decades," 26 Apr. 2018 Thousand Oaks had one located adjacent to a large pen of Jungleland’s camels and llamas. — Shelby Grad, latimes.com, "Essential California: Why the heat left so many powerless in L.A.," 10 July 2018 The proverbial straw hits the camel’s back,’’ said Hutcher, explaining why Cintron had filed suit now. — BostonGlobe.com, "Trump’s longtime personal driver sues for overtime wages," 9 July 2018 Salam had been making his regular six-day trip by camel to the town of Abu Zenima for food supplies for his family ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, as his own area lacks shops and amenities. — Salma Islam, latimes.com, "A long-distance hiking trail in Egypt has reunited Bedouin tribes in the name of jobs and tourism," 21 June 2018 Blakeslee said those health benefits carry over when camel milk is consumed as a beverage. — Justin L. Mack, Indianapolis Star, "Camel milk is the hot new trend and there is a farm right here in Indiana," 21 June 2018 Nevertheless, this was somehow the straw that broke the camel’s back. — Laura Bradley, HWD, "After Roseanne’s Cancellation, Hollywood Rushes to Ditch Roseanne Barr," 29 May 2018 Like the camel versions, the shark antibody was smaller than the regular variety and lacked light chains. — Mitch Leslie, Science | AAAS, "Mini-antibodies discovered in sharks and camels could lead to drugs for cancer and other diseases," 10 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'camel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.