Camelus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large domesticated animal known for its distinctive hump, used for transportation and as a source of milk and meat
2. An animal that thrives in arid environments, famous for its ability to store water and travel long distances without much hydration
3. Characterized by long legs and a unique skeletal structure, this species plays an important role in desert ecosystems and human transportation

Etymology: The Latin "camelus" was borrowed from Greek "kamēlos," and the Greeks most likely took it from a Semitic language. Akkadian "gammalu" and Hebrew "gāmāl" are close relatives. The name travelled west with the animal and the trade that carried it, so Romans knew the camel as a foreign beast of burden with a foreign name. English took the word through Latin. Old English already had "camel," an adaptation of the Latin form, so the name was in use in Britain long before the animal was common there. The sense has stayed the same: a large, hump-backed animal used to carry loads across desert country.

Synonyms: camel