camel

n. [ OE. camel, chamel, OF. camel, chamel, F. chameau L. camelus, fr. Gr. ka`mhlos; of Semitic origin; cf. Heb. gāmāl, Ar. jamal. Cf. As. camel, fr. L. camelus. ] 1. (Zool.) A large ruminant used in Asia and Africa for carrying burdens and for riding. The camel is remarkable for its ability to go a long time without drinking. Its hoofs are small, and situated at the extremities of the toes, and the weight of the animal rests on the callous. The dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) has one hump on the back, while the Bactrian camel (Camelus Bactrianus) has two. The llama, alpaca, and vicuña, of South America, belong to a related genus (Auchenia). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) A water-tight structure (as a large box or boxes) used to assist a vessel in passing over a shoal or bar or in navigating shallow water. By admitting water, the camel or camels may be sunk and attached beneath or at the sides of a vessel, and when the water is pumped out the vessel is lifted. [ 1913 Webster ]

Camel bird (Zool.), the ostrich. --
Camel locust (Zool.), the mantis. --
Camel's thorn (Bot.), a low, leguminous shrub (Alhagi maurorum) of the Arabian desert, from which exudes a sweetish gum, which is one of the substances called manna. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a back like a camel; humpbacked. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Chaceleon. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a soft tan cloth made with the hair of a camel.
Syn. -- camel's hair. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. any of several shrubs or small evergreen trees having solitary white or pink or reddish flowers; the camellia.
Syn. -- camellia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a natural family comprising the camels and llamas and vicunas.
Syn. -- family Camelidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a genus of annual and biennial herbs of Mediterranean to Central Asia.
Syn. -- genus Camelina. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ NL., after Georg Josef Kamel, or Camelli, a Jesuit who is said to have brought it from the East. ] 1. (Bot.) An Asiatic genus of small shrubs, often with shining leaves and showy flowers. Camellia Japonica is much cultivated for ornament, and Camellia Sassanqua and Camellia oleifera are grown in China for the oil which is pressed from their seeds. The tea plant is now referred to this genus under the name of Camellia Thea. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Hort.) An ornamental greenhouse shrub (Thea japonica) with glossy evergreen leaves and roselike red or white double flowers. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ LL. camelopardus, L. camelopardalus, camelopardalis, fr. Gr. kamhlopa`rdalis; ka`mhlos a camel + pa`rdalis pard, leopard: cf. F. camélopard. The camelopard has a neck and head like a camel, and is spotted like a pard. See Camel, and Pard. ] (Zool.) An African ruminant; the giraffe. See Giraffe. [ 1913 Webster ]