Chameleon

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kəˈmiːlɪən/, /kəˈmiːljÉ™n/

Alternative forms

• chamaeleon
• chamæleon

Origin

From Middle English camelion, from Old French cameleon, from Latin chamaeleon, from Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων, from χαμαί (khamai, "on the earth, on the ground") + λέων (leon, "lion"). Spelling relatinized early 18c.

Full definition of chameleon

Noun

1. 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.
2. A person with inconstant behavior; one able to quickly adjust to new circumstances.
3. (physics) 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.

Adjective

1. Describing something that changes color.The wall was covered with a chameleon paint.