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chameleon

noun

cha·​me·​leon kə-ˈmēl-yən How to pronounce chameleon (audio)
often attributive
1
: any of a family (Chamaeleontidae) of chiefly arboreal (see arboreal sense 2) Old World lizards with prehensile (see prehensile sense 1) tail, independently movable eyeballs, and unusual ability to change the color of the skin
2
a
: a person who often changes his or her beliefs or behavior in order to please others or to succeed
She's a political chameleon.
b
: one that is subject to quick or frequent change especially in appearance
Tourmaline is the chameleon of the gem kingdom because it can assume virtually any color.
3
: american chameleon
chameleonic
kə-ˌmē-lē-ˈä-nik How to pronounce chameleon (audio)
adjective
chameleonlike
kə-ˈmēl-yən-ˌlīk How to pronounce chameleon (audio)
adjective

Did you know?

The chameleon is probably best known for the ability to change colors - but when the ancients named this lizard, they apparently had other qualities in mind. "Chameleon" comes to us, via Latin, from Greek chamaileōn, a combination of "chamai" ("on the ground") and "leōn" ("lion") - a tribute, perhaps, to the lizard's fearsome aspect. It is the ability of the chameleon to change colors, however, that has led to the figurative use of "chameleon" for someone or something that is quick to change. Such figurative use dates back to at least the late 16th century, as demonstrated by King James VI who, writing in 1586 or 1587, requested "I praye you not to takk me to be a Camelion."

Synonyms

Example Sentences

at the summer resort he acquired a reputation as a social chameleon—someone who could be whatever his hosts wanted him to be
Recent Examples on the Web Billie Eilish has always been a bit of a style chameleon. Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 4 Apr. 2022 Even a selective overview reveals a woman gifted with a chameleon-like ability to reinvent herself -- and underscores the futility of any attempt to pigeonhole a person's experience based on their most visible triumphs or misfortunes. Holly Thomas, CNN, 10 Aug. 2022 Yet perhaps more than any drug route, my father was best known for not being known, for being a chameleon to those who loved him most. Kristen Mcguiness, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2022 Tasting these wines provides clarity: Vermentino is a chameleon. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 24 July 2022 Willow Smith is a 'cut chameleon, always open to switching up her hair. Abby Dupes, Seventeen, 25 July 2022 Who: Pop innovator, dance diva, cultural chameleon, torch singer, movie and TV actress, Oscar winner. Mary Colurso | Mcolurso@al.com, al, 11 June 2022 Solomon is like a chameleon who adapts to a variety of cultures. Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 June 2022 One through line is the carnival tradition, which recurs, chameleon-like, in everything from a eighteenth-century landscape of Dutch Suriname to a crowded village masquerade painted by the mid-century Haïtian artist Sénèque Obin. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 4 May 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English camelion, from Middle French, from Latin chamaeleon, from Greek chamaileōn, from chamai on the ground + leōn lion — more at humble

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chameleon was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing chameleon

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