chamois

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chamois

/ˈʃæmwɑː/ UK, singular
/ˈʃæmwɑːz/ plural
/ʃæmˈwɑ/ US, singular
/ʃæmˈwɑ(z)/ plural
/ˈʃæmi/ singular
/ˈʃæmi(z)/ plural
/ˈʃæmi/ UK, singular
/ˈʃæmiz/ plural
/ˈʃæmi/ US, singular
/ʃæmˈwɑ/ singular
/ʃæmˈwɑz/ plural
/ˈʃæmwɑː/ UK
/ˈʃæmi/ UK

Rhymes with -æmi

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Middle French chamois, from Late Latin camox, from Gaulish camox (5th c. AD, Polemius Silvius), probably from an extinct Alpine language (Raetic, Ancient Ligurian), possibly Proto-Indo-European *kem- (“without horns”). Compare also Old High German gamiza (“chamois”) (whence modern German Gämse).

noun chamoises · chamois · chamoix · shamois · shamoy

countable, uncountable A short-horned goat antelope native to mountainous terrain in southern Europe; Rupicapra rupicapra. When my father returned from Milan, he found playing with me in the hall of our villa a child fairer than pictured cherub – a creature who seemed to shed radiance from her looks and whose form and motions were lighter than the chamois of the hills.
abbreviation, countable, ellipsis, uncountable Ellipsis of chamois leather (“soft pliable leather originally made from the skin of chamois (nowadays the hides of deer, sheep, and other species of goat are alternatively used)”). [H]e seldom donned his armour, substituted costly damask and silk for his war-worn shamoy doublet, and affected at his advanced time of life more gaiety of attire than his contemporaries remembered as distinguishing his early youth.
countable, uncountable The traditional colour of chamois leather.
countable, uncountable An absorbent cloth used for cleaning and polishing, formerly made of chamois leather. I took them, breathed on them, polished them with a chamois and hung them on the chandelier.
countable, uncountable A padded insert which protects the groin from the bicycle saddle.

adjective

not comparable Chamois-colored.

verb chamoises · chamoising · chamoised

transitive To clean with a chamois leather cloth.
Similar: shammy

Translations

Every language

noun goat-like antelope

Español	gamuza, rebeco, sarrio
日本語	シャモア shamoa, カモシカ kamojika
中文	臆羚 yìlíng, 岩羚羊 yánlíngyáng
Português	camurça
Français	chamois, isard
Deutsch	Gämse, Gams
Italiano	camoscio, rupicapra
Ελληνικά	αγριόγιδο agriógido, αγριοκάτσικο agriokátsiko, αίγαγρος aígagros
Română	chamois, șamoa, capră-neagră, capră-de-munte
Русский	се́рна sérna, чёрный козёл čórnyj kozjól

noun colour

Español	gamuza
Italiano	camoscio

noun cloth

Español	gamuza
日本語	シャモア shamoa
中文	沙穆瓦 shāmùwǎ, 麂皮 jǐpí, 麂皮革 jǐpígé, 油鞣革 yóuróugé
Français	chamois
Deutsch	Sämischleder
Italiano	camoscio
Русский	за́мша zámša

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Cite this

MLA

"chamois." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/chamois. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

chamois. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/chamois

Chicago

"chamois." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/chamois.

BibTeX

@misc{chamois_2026,
  title = {chamois},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/chamois},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}