noun

chamois

SHAM-wah

noun

A soft, absorbent piece of leather (traditionally from a goat-antelope of the same name) used for cleaning or polishing surfaces.

"He wiped down the car with a chamois to avoid leaving streaks."

verb

To wipe or polish something using a chamois cloth.

"She chamoised the windows until they gleamed."

adj

Having a soft, pale yellowish-tan color, like chamois leather.

"The jacket came in a chamois shade that matched her boots."

How to Use Chamois

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA soft leather (or leather-like) cloth for cleaning, or the pale tan color associated with it.

Memory tip

The "s" is silent — it's pronounced roughly "SHAM-ee."

Trace the full origin ↓

chamoised past tense, chamoises singular

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He wiped down the car with a _____ to avoid leaving streaks.

From French chamois, originally the name of a small goat-antelope found in the Alps, whose soft hide was used to make the cloth.

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