camel

noun

cam·​el ˈka-məl 

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 noun

a 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 noun

camel leather

Illustration of camel

• 1 dromedary
• 2 Bactrian camel

Examples of camel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The island soft-opened in October, 2024, and Alicia Keys—whose husband, Swizz Beatz, owns a Saudi camel-racing team—performed at the party. — Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

The world’s estimated 500 million pastoralists have fine-tuned the skill of living off the meat, dairy, fibers, and hides produced by their herds of sheep, cattle, camels, yaks, reindeer, and llamas. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026

In the campaign, Pugh poses wrapped in one of the brand’s camel coats in a minimalist room in front of the camera of Mario Sorrenti, who has a long-standing relationship with the fashion company. — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026

The camel stops urinating just long enough for the kids to pose for a picture with it. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing camel

• Bactrian camel
• camel hair
• camel's hair
• camel toe
• the straw that breaks/broke the camel's back

Rhymes for camel

• hamel
• hamil
• mammal
• trammel
• enamel
• glutamyl

Kids Definition

camel

noun

cam·​el ˈkam-əl 

: either of two large cud-chewing mammals used for carrying burdens and for riding in desert regions especially of Africa and Asia:

a

: dromedary

b

: a two-humped camel of central Asia

called also Bactrian camel