Cam"el (kăm"&ebreve;l), n. [Oe. camel,
chamel, OF. camel,
chamel, F. chameau L.
camelus, fr. Gr. ka`mhlos; of Semitic origin; cf. Heb.
gāmāl, Ar. jamal. Cf. As. camel, fr. L. camelus.]
1. (Zoöl.) 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 (C. Bactrianus) has two. The llama, alpaca, and vicuña, of South America, belong to a related genus
(Auchenia).
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.
Camel bird
(Zoöl.), the ostrich. -- Camel locust (Zoöl.),
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.
Hear it pronounced