Skip to main content
camelback

camelback

1 6.5
A short rounded rise in a road or bridge
  • noun
  • /ˈkæməlˌbæk/
translation icon : joroba

Examples

  • At least he'd been able to get in some skiing at Camelback over the weekend.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Commercial establishments, especially department stores, left the central city for the commercial strips and shopping centers that were established north of downtown along North Central Avenue and Camelback Road.

    Academic text (1995)
  • One can drive a well-paved road directly to the Camelback overlook; High Knob is a gentle two-mile hike up a dirt road from a parking area.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The young child gleefully pointed to the camelback he saw while walking along the road.

  • Drivers are advised to slow down when approaching the camelback on the highway, as it can be tricky.

  • The construction crew added a camelback to improve the flow of water on the bridge.

Synonyms

humpback bridge
vscamelback
6.7

A small crossing with a steep curved middle that people and cars use over water

is a shorter, gently rounded rise rather than a steep central arch

How High

hill
1.0
ridge
276 3.4
camelback
1 6.5
speed bump
7 2.5
bump
118 2.5

Surface Forms

camelback singular
camelbacks plural

Morphology

camelback = camel + back (transparent) = camel + back

The compound directly names a hump resembling a camel's back, so learners who know 'camel' and 'back' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Camelback comes from the words camel and back because a short, rounded rise in a road looks like a camel's 'hump'. So people call that kind of bump a camelback because of its curved shape.