chamois

noun

cham·​ois ˈsha-mē 

sense 1 also

sham-ˈwä 

plural chamois also chamoix

sense 1

ˈsha-mē(z) 

or

sham-ˈwä(z) 

senses 2 & 3

ˈsha-mēz 

1

: either of two small, agile, goatlike bovids (Rupicapra rupicapra and R. pyrenaica) of mountainous regions from southern Europe to the Caucasus that are often hunted for their meat and hide

2

or less commonly chammy or shammy

ˈsha-mē 

: a soft pliant leather prepared from the skin of the chamois or from sheepskin

3

: a cotton fabric made in imitation of chamois leather

Examples of chamois in a Sentence

a bucket of water and a chamois

Recent Examples on the Web

Get Some Bibs Photograph: Pearl Izumi Diehards like to show their grit by riding in cutoff shorts with no protective chamois. —Stephanie Pearson, WIRED, 31 May 2021

This is then gently buffed in using a chamois (a natural leather) tool. —Tori Crowther, refinery29.com, 12 July 2024

The flora and fauna feature more than 1,700 plant species as well as chamois, boars and deer. —David Unsworth, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024

Some animals — like the chamois, elks, and ibexes — might descend a couple of miles from the mountaintop and spend the colder months at lower altitudes, where the weather is slightly warmer. —Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Late Latin camox

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

chamois

noun

cham·​ois ˈsham-ē 

plural chamois also chamoix ˈsham-ē(z) 

1

: a small goatlike mountain antelope of Europe and the Caucasus

2

: a soft yellowish leather made from the skin of the chamois or from sheepskin