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cham·ois

(shăm′wä, shămwä′, shămē)

n. pl. cham·ois (shăm′wä, shămwä′, shămēz)

1. Either of two species of agile goat antelopes (Rupicapra rupicapra or R. pyrenaica) of mountainous regions of Europe and western Asia, having upright horns with backward-hooked tips.

2. (shămē) also cham·my or sham·my pl. cham·mies

a. A soft leather made from the hide of these antelopes or of other animals such as deer or sheep.

b. A piece of such leather or of a fabric or material made to resemble it, used as a polishing or drying cloth or in shirts.

3. (shăm′wä, shămwä′, shămē) A moderate to grayish yellow.

[French, from Middle French, from Old French, from Late Latin camōx, of pre-Roman Alpine origin and perhaps ultimately from Celtic *kambo-, crooked (in reference to the hooked horns of the chamois; compare Old Irish and Middle Welsh camm, crooked).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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