Camel

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  camel \cam"el\ (k[a^]m"[e^]l), n. [OE. camel, chamel, OF. camel,
     chamel, F. chameau L. camelus, fr. Gr. ka`mhlos; of Semitic
     origin; cf. Heb. g[=a]m[=a]l, Ar. jamal. Cf. As. camel, fr.
     L. camelus.]
     1. (Zool.) 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 hump on the
        back, while the Bactrian camel ({Camelus Bactrianus}) has
        two. The llama, alpaca, and vicu[~n]a, of South America,
        belong to a related genus ({Auchenia}).
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Camel bird} (Zool.), the ostrich.
  
     {Camel locust} (Zool.), 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.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  camel
       n : cud-chewing mammal used as a draft or saddle animal in
           desert regions

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  49 Moby Thesaurus words for "camel":
     Cape elk, Siberian husky, Virginia deer, antelope, ass,
     beast of burden, buck, camelopard, caribou, deer, deerlet, doe,
     draft animal, dromedary, eland, elephant, elk, fallow deer, fawn,
     gazelle, giraffe, gnu, hart, hartebeest, hind, horse, husky, kaama,
     llama, malamute, moose, mule, mule deer, musk deer, okapi, ox,
     pack horse, red deer, reindeer, roe, roe deer, roebuck, sledge dog,
     springbok, stag, sumpter, sumpter horse, sumpter mule,
     wildebeest
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Camel
     from the Hebrew _gamal_, "to repay" or "requite," as the camel
     does the care of its master. There are two distinct species of
     camels, having, however, the common characteristics of being
     "ruminants without horns, without muzzle, with nostrils forming
     oblique slits, the upper lip divided and separately movable and
     extensile, the soles of the feet horny, with two toes covered by
     claws, the limbs long, the abdomen drawn up, while the neck,
     long and slender, is bent up and down, the reverse of that of a
     horse, which is arched."
     
       (1.) The Bactrian camel is distinguished by two humps. It is a
     native of the high table-lands of Central Asia.
     
       (2.) The Arabian camel or dromedary, from the Greek _dromos_,
     "a runner" (Isa. 60:6; Jer. 2:23), has but one hump, and is a
     native of Western Asia or Africa.
     
       The camel was early used both for riding and as a beast of
     burden (Gen. 24:64; 37:25), and in war (1 Sam. 30:17; Isa.
     21:7). Mention is made of the camel among the cattle given by
     Pharaoh to Abraham (Gen. 12:16). Its flesh was not to be eaten,
     as it was ranked among unclean animals (Lev. 11:4; Deut. 14:7).
     Abraham's servant rode on a camel when he went to fetch a wife
     for Isaac (Gen. 24:10, 11). Jacob had camels as a portion of his
     wealth (30:43), as Abraham also had (24:35). He sent a present
     of thirty milch camels to his brother Esau (32:15). It appears
     to have been little in use among the Jews after the conquest. It
     is, however, mentioned in the history of David (1 Chr. 27:30),
     and after the Exile (Ezra 2:67; Neh. 7:69). Camels were much in
     use among other nations in the East. The queen of Sheba came
     with a caravan of camels when she came to see the wisdom of
     Solomon (1 Kings 10:2; 2 Chr. 9:1). Benhadad of Damascus also
     sent a present to Elisha, "forty camels' burden" (2 Kings 8:9).
     
       To show the difficulty in the way of a rich man's entering
     into the kingdom, our Lord uses the proverbial expression that
     it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
     (Matt. 19:24).
     
       To strain at (rather, out) a gnat and swallow a camel was also
     a proverbial expression (Matt. 23:24), used with reference to
     those who were careful to avoid small faults, and yet did not
     hesitate to commit the greatest sins. The Jews carefully
     filtered their wine before drinking it, for fear of swallowing
     along with it some insect forbidden in the law as unclean, and
     yet they omitted openly the "weightier matters" of the law.
     
       The raiment worn by John the Baptist was made of camel's hair
     (Matt. 3:4; Mark 1:6), by which he was distinguished from those
     who resided in royal palaces and wore soft raiment. This was
     also the case with Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), who is called "a hairy
     man," from his wearing such raiment. "This is one of the most
     admirable materials for clothing; it keeps out the heat, cold,
     and rain." The "sackcloth" so often alluded to (2 Kings 1:8;
     Isa. 15:3; Zech. 13:4, etc.) was probably made of camel's hair.
     

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  CAMEL, n.  A quadruped (the _Splaypes humpidorsus_) of great value to
  the show business.  There are two kinds of camels -- the camel proper
  and the camel improper.  It is the latter that is always exhibited.