: any of three large ruminant (see ruminantentry 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
"… 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
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It’s made from Grade-A Mongolian cashmere and available in plus sizes in brown (pictured above), camel, oatmeal, black, dusty blue, and heather gray.—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Dec. 2025 King Charles wore a double-breasted camel coat, while Queen Camilla donned a bright red hat and long matching coat.—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 25 Dec. 2025 This could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025 Grizzy's Hood News The parade went on with another camel following the first and more participants, the video shows.—Joe Kottke, NBC news, 18 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for camel
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of camel was
before the 12th century
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