noun · countable / uncountable · rare

chamois

chamois · chamoises · chamois

сарна, серна

чёрный козёл, серна, замша

Gams, Gämse, Sämischleder

A short-horned goat antelope native to mountainous terrain in southern EuropeA short-horned goat antelope native to mountainous terrain in southern Europe; Rupicapra rupicapra.

ⓘ

UK/ˈʃæmwɑː/US/ʃæmˈwɑ/

» Do you see the chamois?

Ты видишь серну?

Вы видите серну?

Meaning

4 senses

(countable, uncountable)A short-horned goat antelope native to mountainous terrain in southern Europe; Rupicapra rupicapra.
Gämse, Gams
се́рнаsérna, чёрный козёлčórnyj kozjól
се́рнаsérna, са́рнаsárna
(countable, uncountable)The traditional colour of chamois leather.
a soft suede leather formerly from the skin of the chamois antelope but now from sheepskin
(countable, uncountable)An absorbent cloth used for cleaning and polishing, formerly made of chamois leather.
Sämischleder
за́мшаzámša
(countable, uncountable)A padded insert which protects the groin from the bicycle saddle.

Examples

6 sentences

Do you see the chamois?
ruТы видишь серну? — marafon
CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · Miktsoanit · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Chamois move in leaps.
CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · Miktsoanit · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Chamois can live for 25 years.
CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · Miktsoanit · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Chamois almost never drink water.
CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · Miktsoanit · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Look, a chamois!
deSchau, eine Gämse! — Adelpa
CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · Miktsoanit · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem

Translations

9 languages

Українська

By meaning 1

goat-like antelope:

Русский

By meaning 2

goat-like antelope:

cloth:

Deutsch

By meaning 2

goat-like antelope:

cloth:

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French chamois, from Late Latin camox, from Gaulish camox (5th c. AD,

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).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plural: chamoises / chamois / chamoix

Singular	chamois
Plural	chamoises / chamois / chamoix

regular

Synonyms

6 synonyms

Close in meaning

hoofed mammal of mountains of Eurasia having upright horns with backward-hooked tips:Rupicapra rupicapra
a soft suede leather formerly from the skin of the chamois antelope but now from sheepskin:chamois leather chammy chammy leather shammy shammy leather

Word family

Lessons for this word

2 lessons

A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular
A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable