'Chameleon' definitions:

Definition of 'chameleon'

(from WordNet)
noun
A changeable or inconstant person
noun
A faint constellation in the polar region of the southern hemisphere near Apus and Mensa [syn: Chamaeleon, Chameleon]
noun
Lizard of Africa and Madagascar able to change skin color and having a projectile tongue [syn: chameleon, chamaeleon]

Definition of 'Chameleon'

From: GCIDE
  • Chameleon \Cha*me"le*on\ (k[.a]*m[=e]"l[-e]*[u^]n), n. [L. Chamaeleon, Gr. chamaile`wn, lit., "ground lion;" chamai` on the ground + le`wn lion. See Humble, and Lion.] (Zool.)
  • 1. A lizardlike reptile of the genus Cham[ae]leo, of several species, found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The skin is covered with fine granulations; it has eyes which can move separately, the tail is prehensile, and the body is much compressed laterally, giving it a high back. It is remarkable for its ability to change the color of its skin to blend with its surroundings. [Also sometimes spelled chamaeleon.] [1913 Webster +PJC]
  • Note: Its color changes more or less with the color of the objects about it, or with its temper when disturbed. In a cool, dark place it is nearly white, or grayish; on admitting the light, it changes to brown, bottle-green, or blood red, of various shades, and more or less mottled in arrangment. The American chameleons belong to Anolis and allied genera of the family Iguanid[ae]. They are more slender in form than the true chameleons, but have the same power of changing their colors. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. a person who changes opinions, ideas, or behavior to suit the prevailing social climate; an opportunist. [PJC]
  • Chameleon mineral (Chem.), the compound called {potassium permanganate}, a dark violet, crystalline substance, KMnO4, which in formation passes through a peculiar succession of color from green to blue, purple, red, etc. See Potassium permanganate, under Potassium. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'chameleon'

From: Easton
  • Chameleon a species of lizard which has the faculty of changing the colour of its skin. It is ranked among the unclean animals in Lev. 11:30, where the Hebrew word so translated is _coah_ (R.V., "land crocodile"). In the same verse the Hebrew _tanshemeth_, rendered in Authorized Version "mole," is in Revised Version "chameleon," which is the correct rendering. This animal is very common in Egypt and in the Holy Land, especially in the Jordan valley.

Synonyms of 'chameleon'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Words containing 'Chameleon'