Definition of "camel" []

• A humped, long-necked ruminant mammal of the genus Camelus, domesticated in Old World desert regions as a beast of burden and as a source of wool, milk, and meat. (noun)
• A device used to raise sunken objects, consisting of a hollow structure that is submerged, attached tightly to the object, and pumped free of water. Also called caisson. (noun)
• Sports A spin in figure skating that is performed in an arabesque or modified arabesque position. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "For instance, in the passage about a camel going through the eye of a needle, it will make a difference in the sense, whether you read in the Greek word for _camel_ the oriental animal of that name, or a ship's cable; but no difference at all arises in the spiritual doctrine."
• "Unless you've been hiding under an unfashionable rock for the past year, you'll have the word camel firmly rooted in your fashionista lexicon."
• "Everyone has heard the joke that a camel is a horse designed by a committee."