Definition of chameleon Chameleon

/ʧʌmɛˈliʌn/ - [chumeleeun] - cha•me•le•on

We found 12 definitions of chameleon from 7 different sources.

What does chameleon mean?

Noun Plural: chameleons
chameleon - lizard of Africa and Madagascar able to change skin color and having a projectile tongue
		chamaeleon
		lizard relatively long-bodied reptile with usually two pairs of legs and a tapering tail
		chamaeleonidae, chamaeleontidae, family chamaeleonidae, family chamaeleontidae, family rhiptoglossa, rhiptoglossa Old World chameleons; in some classifications they are considered a superfamily of Sauria
		african chameleon, chamaeleo chamaeleon a chameleon found in Africa
chameleon - a changeable or inconstant person
chameleon - a faint constellation in the polar region of the southern hemisphere near Apus and Mensa
		Chamaeleon, Chameleon

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chameleon (Noun)
A small to mid-size reptile, of the family Chamaeleonidae, and one of the best known lizard families able to change color and project its long tongue.
chameleon (Noun)
A person with inconstant behavior; one able to quickly adjust to new circumstances.
chameleon (Noun)
A hypothetical scalar particle with a non-linear self-interaction, giving it an effective mass that depends on its environment: the presence of other fields.
chameleon (Adjective)
Describing something that changes color.

chameleon (n.)
A lizardlike reptile of the genus Chamaeleo, of several species, found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The skin is covered with fine granulations; the tail is prehensile, and the body is much compressed laterally, giving it a high back.

chameleon
(Chamaeleonidae)A squamate that belong to one of the best-known lizard families.

chameleon
ka-mēl′yun, n. a small lizard famous for changing its colour: (fig.) an inconstant person.—adjs. Chamel′eonic, Chamel′eon-like. [L. chamæleon—Gr. chamaileōn—chamai (= L. humi), on the ground, dwarf, and leōn, a lion.]

A chameleon is a reptile. Some kinds of this animal change the colours of their skins under influence of mood, light and temperature. Chameleons have long sticky tongues that they can stretch up to two times their body size. Their eyes can move independently. The name chameleon means an earth lion which comes from the Greek word chamai which means earth and leon meaning lion. They are lizards with scales and feet eclipsed with sharp claws. The largest species is about 1.5 feet when fully grown. They are mainly insectivores, but they do take occasional smaller lizards. They can be found in Europe, the USA, and Africa (mostly Madagascar).