- camel
- camel cam"el (k[acrf]m"[e^]l), n. [Oe. camel, chamel, OF.
camel, chamel, F. chameau L. camelus, fr. Gr. ka`mhlos; of
Semitic origin; cf. Heb. g[=a]m[=a]l, Ar. jamal. Cf. As.
camel, fr. L. camelus.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) 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 bunch on the
back, while the Bactrian camel ({Camelus Bactrianus}) has
two. The llama, alpaca, and vicu[~n]a, 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} (Zo["o]l.), the ostrich.
{Camel locust} (Zo["o]l.), 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]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
