camel
noun
cam·el
| \ ˈka-məl
\
\
Definition of camel
1
: either of two large ruminant mammals (genus Camelus) 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 camel (C. bactrianus synonym 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
Illustration of camel
camel 1: 1 dromedary, 2 Bactrian camel
Examples of camel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Inland, meanwhile, was sparked by a history podcast about the Camel Corps, a short-lived experiment to introduce camels into America. — Belinda Luscombe, Time, "'I Put 1,400 Pages in the Trash.' The Tiger's Wife Author Téa Obreht on Killing Two Books to Create Her New Novel," 13 Aug. 2019 On the run from the bounty on his head, Lurie crosses paths, inexplicably, with the United States Camel Corps, an obscure slice of American history in which the Army, briefly, conscripted camels for the war effort. — Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, "Téa Obreht follows up 'The Tiger's Wife' with 'Inland' a haunted, fantastical Western," 13 Aug. 2019 For almost 1400 years, Muslim pilgrims have boarded boats, saddled up camels, or set off on foot for Mecca. — Natasha Frost, Quartz, "Saudi Arabia’s multibillion-dollar hajj industry is getting smarter than ever," 9 Aug. 2019 Optimists may even glean some reassurance from the willingness of Iranian jurisprudence to deem women worth 100 camels in blood money. — Bobby Ghosh, Twin Cities, "Bobby Ghosh: The most important thing Saudi Arabia and Iran could do for women," 8 Aug. 2019 The predators were attracted to the pits because horses, bison and camels would become stuck in the tar. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Fossils in La Brea Tar Pits reveal why coyotes still exist, but not saber-toothed cats," 5 Aug. 2019 Dates, camel meat, al harees, and qoozi are just a few of the local dishes to try on your trip. — Danielle Pointdujour, Essence, "Black Travel Vibes: This Dubai Escape Will Make You Jump For Joy - And Book A Flight," 19 July 2019 To look for the genes that let Santa’s helpers survive scarce food and months without daylight, researchers took advantage of a massive effort to sequence the genomes of reindeer and 43 other ruminants, including cows, sheep, and camels. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "How reindeer evolved to survive freezing Arctic winters," 20 June 2019 Hansen has used enrichment funds to take her daughter on field trips to places such as a camel ranch and the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library & Birthplace. — Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Home charter schools rein in spending of taxpayer money on enrichment amid scrutiny," 15 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'camel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for camel
camel
noun
English Language Learners Definition of camel
: a large animal of Africa and Asia that has a long neck and one or two large humps on its back and that is often used for desert travel
See the full definition for camel in the English Language Learners Dictionary
camel
noun
cam·el
| \ ˈka-məl
\
\
Kids Definition of camel
: a large animal that has one or two large humps on its back and is used in the deserts of Asia and Africa for carrying passengers and loads
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