Forms: (4 gamelos, camle), 4–9 camelion, 6 chamælion, camallian, chamelæon), 7 camelian, 6–9 chamelion, cameleon, chamæleon, 6– chameleon. See also CAMELION, CAMLE. [a. L. chamæleon, a. Gr. χαμαιλέων the chameleon, f. χαμαί on the ground, dwarf + λέων a lion. The usual spelling down to the present century [19th] was camelion; cameleon being also common after 1700; in senses 3, 4 chamæleon is now frequent.]
1. A saurian reptile of the genus Chamæleo, family Chamæleonidæ, small lizard-like creatures, distinguished by a prehensile tail, long tongue, eyes moving independently, and covered each with a single circular eyelid, but esp. by their power of changing the color of the skin, ‘varying through different shades of yellow, red, gray, brown, violet, and dull inky blue’ (Carpenter, Zoology, 1847). From their inanimate appearance, and power of existing for long periods without food, they were formerly supposed to live on air. These attributes made the name famous and familiar to many who knew nothing else of the animal.
1340. Ayenb., 62. Ase þe gamelos þet leueþ by þe eyr and naȝt ne heþ ine his roppes bote wynd, and heþ eche manere colour þet ne heþ non his oȝen.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 133. Lich unto the camelion, Whiche upon every sondry hewe That he beholt he mote newe His colour.
c. 1400. Maundev., xxviii. 289. Manye Camles … He may chaunge him in to alle maner of coloures that him list, saf only in to red and white.
1547–64. Bauldwin, Mor. Philos. (Palfr.), vii. 8. As a camelion hath all colors save white, so hath a flatterer all points save honestie.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind. (Arb.), 122. A straunge beast … a kynd of Chameleon.
1600. Rowlands, Lett. Humours Blood, xvii. 23. Can men feede like Camelions, on the ayer?
1602. Shaks., Ham., III. ii. 98. King. How fares our Cosin Hamlet? Ham. Excellent Ifaith, of the Camelions dish: I eate the Ayre promise-cramm’d.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 360. A Chamelion is a Creature about the Bignesse of an Ordinary Lizard…. His Tongue of a marvellous Length in respect of his Body.
1648. Hunting of Fox, 45. Camelions, which change with every object.
1700. Dryden, Fables, 526 (J.).
| The thin camelion fed with Air, receives | |
| The colour of the Thing to which he cleaves. |
1727. Pope, Th. on Var. Subj., in Swift’s Wks., 1755, II. I. 224. The camelion, who is said to feed upon nothing but air, hath of all animals the nimblest tongue.
1786. trans. Beckford’s Vathek (1868), 38. Carathis … like a chameleon, could assume all possible colours.
1820. Shelley, Prometh. Unb., IV. i. 483. As a lover or a cameleon Grows like what it looks upon.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, 166. The … meagre aspect of the place would have killed a chameleon.
2. fig. (esp. = inconstant or variable person.)
1586. Jas. VI., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 224, III. 21. I praye You not to takk me to be a Camelion.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., II. i. 178. Though the Cameleon Loue can feed on the ayre.
1606. Dekker, Sev. Sins, I. (Arb.), 13. The Politick Bankrupt is … a Cameleon, that can put himselfe into all colours.
1616. Bullokar, s.v., Men that are inconstant and fickle are sometimes called Chameleons.
1797. Godwin, Enquirer, I. v. 33. I find myself a sort of intellectual camelion.
1866. Motley, Dutch Rep., II. i. 127. He was a chameleon to the hand which fed him. He coloured himself, as it were, with the King’s character.
3. Bot. The name of two plants: White Chameleon, Carlina gummifera; Black Chameleon, Cardopatium corymbosum.
1551. Turner, Herbal, I. H iv a. It hath leues of chameleon, or blacker then the whyte thystel and thycker.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, IV. lvii. 517. Of the Thistel Chameleon … Chamæleon is of two sortes, the white and the blacke.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 124. The reason why this herb is named Chamæleon, is by occasion of the variable leaues which it beareth.
1673. Ray, Journ. Low C. (1738), II. 194. The black Chamælion with its handsome blue colour’d tops.
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. 41. The White Chameleon or Little Chardon.
4. Astron. One of the southern circumpolar constellations, lying between Apus and Mensa.
1835. Penny Cycl., IV. 66/2. The following is the list of Bayer’s constellations … Hydrus, Chameleon, Apis.
5. Chem. Mineral chameleon or chameleon mineral [cf. F. caméléon minéral], a name given to manganate of potassium (K2 Mn O4), the solution of which in water changes color, on exposure to the air, from deep green to deep purple, owing to the formation of the permanganate (K Mn O4).
1816. Accum, Chem. Tests (1818), 461. The cameleon is evidently formed of potash and oxide of manganese.
1869. Roscoe, Elem. Chem., 234. Hence its common name of mineral chamelion.
1873. Williamson, Chem. (ed. 3), § 194. This change of colour obtained for the salt the name mineral chameleon.
6. attrib. and Comb. a. simple attrib., as chameleon fare, hue. b. quasi-adj. Resembling the chameleon, chameleon-like.
1687. Dryden, Hind & P., III. 788. Conscience is then your plea … But yours is much of the cameleon hue, To change the dye with every different view.
1793. Holcroft, trans. Lavater’s Physiog., xxix. 143. Such cameleon minds can be at one moment great, at another contemptible.
1837. Hawthorne, Twice-told T. (1842), 419. A chameleon spirit, with no hue of its own.
1840. Hood, Kilmansegg, xxiii. Her very first draught of vital air, It was not the common chameleon fare.
1856. Miss Mulock, J. Halifax, 231. Her chameleon power of seizing and sunning herself in the delight of the moment.
c. Comb., as chameleon fly, a dipterous insect, Stratiomys chamæleon; chameleon grass, the striped variety of Phalaris arundinacea or other grasses; chameleon-like a.
1598. Gerard, Herbal, I. xix. § 2. 25. Gramen striatum, or Gramen pictum: in English the Furrowed grasse, the white Chameleon grasse, or straked grasse.
1802. Bingley, Anim. Biog. (1813), III. 319. The chamæleon fly … is one of our most common two-winged insects.
