kameleon

From Middle Dutch cameleon, from Old French cameleon, from Latin chamaeleōn, from Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn), ultimately a calque of Akkadian 𒌨𒈤𒊭𒆠.

• IPA^(key): /ˌkaː.meː.leːˈɔn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ka‧me‧le‧on
• Rhymes: -ɔn

kameleon m (plural kameleons, diminutive kameleonnetje n)

1. chameleon (lizard of the family Chamaeleonidae)
2. (figuratively) weathervane (someone who changes opinions, allegiance, etc. like a chameleon changes color)

   Synonym: windvaan

   Die politicus is een echte kameleon: hij verandert moeiteloos van opinie en nu zelfs opnieuw van partij!

   That politician is a true weathervane: he changes opinions effortlessly, now even switched parties again!

From German via Latin chamaeleon, from Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn).

• IPA^(key): /kɑmələuːn/
• Rhymes: -əuːn

kameleon m (definite singular kameleonen, indefinite plural kameleoner, definite plural kameleonene)

1. a chameleon

• “kameleon” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From German via Latin chamaeleon, from Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn).

• IPA^(key): /kɑmələuːn/
• Rhymes: -əuːn

kameleon m (definite singular kameleonen, indefinite plural kameleonar, definite plural kameleonane)

1. a chameleon

• “kameleon” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Learned borrowing from Latin chamaeleōn, from Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn).

• IPA^(key): /ka.mɛˈlɛ.ɔn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛɔn
• Syllabification: ka‧me‧le‧on

kameleon m animal

1. chameleon

kameleon m pers

1. (figuratively) chameleon (person with inconstant behavior; one able to quickly adjust to new circumstances)

• kameleon in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• kameleon in Polish dictionaries at PWN

• IPA^(key): /kamelěoːn/
• Hyphenation: ka‧me‧le‧on

kamelèōn m anim (Cyrillic spelling камелѐо̄н)

1. chameleon

• “kameleon”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

• kamelyon

Pseudo-Hispanism, derived from English chameleon with a shift of stress, from Middle English camelion, from Old French cameleon, from Latin chamaeleōn, from Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn), ultimately a calque of Akkadian 𒌨𒈤𒊭𒆠 (nēšu ša qaqqari, “chameleon, reptile”, literally “lion of the ground; predator that crawls upon the ground”).

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /kameleˈon/ [kɐ.mɛ.lɛˈon̪]
• Rhymes: -on
• Syllabification: ka‧me‧le‧on

kameleón (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜋᜒᜎᜒᜌᜓᜈ᜔)

1. alternative form of kamaleon