Word
chameleon
US/kəˈmiɫiən/
UK/kəmˈiːliən/
Definition
n. a small lizard that can change its skin color to match its surroundings. You also use this word for a person who changes their behavior to fit in with different groups.
n. a lizard of the family Chamaeleonidae known for its ability to change skin color for camouflage or communication. Figuratively describes a person who readily adapts their behavior or opinions to suit their current environment.
Examples
“The chameleon turned green to hide among the leaves.”
“As a political chameleon, he managed to stay in power by changing his views to match the public mood.”
“The species is a master of disguise, utilizing specialized skin cells to transform into a perfect chameleon of its environment, effectively vanishing from the sight of predators.”
Examples
simple
“The chameleon turned green to hide among the leaves.”
contextual
“As a political chameleon, he managed to stay in power by changing his views to match the public mood.”
complex
“The species is a master of disguise, utilizing specialized skin cells to transform into a perfect chameleon of its environment, effectively vanishing from the sight of predators.”
Usage
Often used metaphorically to describe social or political adaptability.
Real-World Examples
“The chameleon skills I’d always employed to fudge my way through existence had let me down.” “She considers herself a chameleon who adapts to new environments and survives by being funny, but all too often regrets things she has said.” Etymology
From Middle English camelion, from Old French cameleon, from Latin chamaeleon, from Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn), from χαμαί (khamaí, “on the earth, on the ground”) + λέων (léōn, “lion”); ultimately a calque from Akkadian 𒌨𒈤𒊭𒆠 (nēšu ša qaqqari, “chameleon, reptile”, literally “lion of the ground", "predator that crawls upon the ground”). The spelling was re-Latinized in the early 18th century. The physics sense was coined by Justin Khoury and Amanda Weltman in 2003 in a paper in Physical Review Letters.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/chameleon