What does "dromedary" mean?
The single-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius).
Dromedary
/ˈdɹɒmɪdəɹi/ name, noun
name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The single-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius).
- Grammar: dromedary is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: arabian camel, animal, antelope, armadillo.
- Useful contrasts: bactrian, llamas, two-humped.
- Usage evidence: How many humps would an offspring of a Bactrian and a dromedary camel get?
How to use "dromedary"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dromedary" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dromedary" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dromedary" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dromedary" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dromedary" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "arabian camel" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dromedary", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The single-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius).
"The duke in his schelde and dreches no lengere, / Drawes hym a dromedarie, with dredfulle knyghtez; [...]"
- 2 one-humped camel of the hot deserts of northern Africa and southwestern Asia wordnet
- 3 Any swift riding camel.
"[T]hou art like a ſwift dromedarie, that runneth by his wayes."
- 4 Referring to a biphasic clinical course of poliomyelitis, typically occurring in children, characterized by a minor illness, followed by an asymptomatic period of several days before the onset of a major illness involving the central nervous system. attributive, dated
"The untreated cases have been arranged in three groups according to the clinical course. The first group, called the dromedary group, shows the curious phenomenon of two different periods of illness with an interval of well-being. […] Because of the two distinct groups or humps of symptoms, the analogy to the arrangement of the dromedary’s back was taken to express the type figuratively."
Proper Noun
- 1 A locality in Brighton council area and the Southern Midlands council area, south eastern Tasmania, Australia.
Antonyms
Example
"How many humps would an offspring of a Bactrian and a dromedary camel get?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dromedary"?
Common synonyms include: arabian camel, animal, antelope, armadillo, ass, bat.
How do you use "dromedary" in a sentence?
How many humps would an offspring of a Bactrian and a dromedary camel get?
How do you pronounce "dromedary"?
Pronounced /ˈdɹɒmɪdəɹi/.
Etymology
From Middle English dromedari, dromedarie (“dromedary; any camel”) [and other forms], from Old French dromedaire, from Late Latin dromedārius (“kind of camel”), from Latin *dromadārius, from dromas, dromadis (“dromedary”) + -ārius (suffix forming nouns denoting agents of use). Dromas and dromadis are derived from Ancient Greek δρομᾰ́ς (dromắs, “running; dromedary”), an ellipsis of δρομὰς κάμηλος (dromàs kámēlos, “running camel”), from δρόμος (drómos, “race, running; race course, track”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *drem- (“to run”).