? Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 5–8 cambrel, 6 camborell, 7 cambrell, cambril, cammeril, 9 dial. camrel, cammeril, cambril, cameral. See also CHAMBREL, GAMBREL. [It is uncertain whether this is a mere variant or alteration of CAMBREN (given as a synonym by Blount and Bailey, and really a Welsh word), or whether it is to be referred to the verb CAMBER, F. cambrer; cf. CAMBER sb. 2. The lateness of these words is against their being the source of cambrel; on the other hand, the variant forms chambrel (in sense 2) and gambrel (in both senses) make the Welsh derivation difficult. Perhaps there has been contact of distinct words, and action of popular etymology.]
1. A bent piece of wood or iron used by butchers to hang carcases of animals on.
c. 1450. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 612. Spatula, a Cambrel, and a sclyse.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., II. 115–6. He [St. Peter] … was crucified … with his head downward, just like a Sheep upon the Cambrell.
1731–1800. Bailey, Cambren, Cambrel.
1808. Jamieson, Camrel, Cammeril, a crooked piece of wood, passing through the ancles of a sheep, or other carcase, by means of which it is suspended.
1863. Glasgow Her., 14 Nov., 4/5. He said a cameral was a beef-tree or piece of wood used for hanging up carcases.
1863. Morton, Cycl. Agric., II. Gloss., Cambril or Gambril, a butcher’s stretch to hang carcases from or by.
1881. in Leicestersh. Gloss. (E. D. S.).
2. The bend or joint of the upper part of a horse’s hind leg; the hock. Now chiefly dial.
1610. Markham, Masterp., II. i. 212. The length of his hinder hough would be twelue inches, and his cambrell fiue inches. Ibid., 295. The hinder legges will be all swolne … from the cambrels or houghs vpward.
a. 1631. Drayton, Nymphal, x. Wks. 1519 (N.). A perfect goat below, His crooked cambrils arm’d with hoof and hair.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., II. 52/2. View his Cambrels, have an eye to the Joint behind.
1880. O. C. & Farm. Wds. (E. D. S.), 137. In the north the hocks of animals are called cambrils or gambrils.
3. attrib.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 107. A courbe is an yll sorance … vnder the camborell place.
1611. Cotgr., Chapelet du iarret … the cambrell hogh of a horse.
1686. Lond. Gaz., No. 2121/4. Two hinder feet white towards the Cammeril Joint.
1877. E. Peacock, N.-W. Lincoln. Gloss. (E. D. S.), Cameril stick, by which the carcase is suspended.
