chamois: Meaning and Definition of

cham•ois

Pronunciation: (sham'ē Fr. sha&sylpmwä'), [key]
— n., pl. v., cham•ois, cham•oix cham•oised cham•ois•ing
—n.
  1. an agile, goatlike antelope, Rupicapra rupicapra, of high mountains of Europe: now rare in some areas.
  2. a soft, pliable leather from any of various skins dressed with oil, esp. fish oil, originally prepared from the skin of the chamois.
  3. a piece of this leather.
  4. a cotton cloth finished to simulate this leather.
  5. a medium to grayish yellow color.
—v.t.
  1. to dress (a pelt) with oil in order to produce a chamois.
  2. to rub or buff with a chamois.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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