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

Layer it under an iconic camel coat for a sophisticated outfit that looks so Parisian. —Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2025

There’s a cropped rendering of a car’s open doors, its camel upholstery bared like a jewel. —Laura Regensdorf Katharine Sohn Laura Bannister Osman Can Yerebakan Shannon Adducci, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025

The 43-year-old mother of three made quite an entrance at Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, by wearing an orchid appliqué cashmere coat in camel, and a jewel-button detailed dress beneath it. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 21 Jan. 2025

Ivanka's 13-year-old daughter Arabella Rose Kushner continued the monochromatic look in a camel cape coat with a matching thick belt and matching gloves. —Sam Woodward, USA TODAY, 21 Jan. 2025

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
• 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