cham ‧ ois /ˈʃæmwɑː $ ˈʃæmi/ BrE AmE noun ( plural chamois )
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: French ; Origin: Late Latin camox ]
1 . [countable] a wild animal like a small goat that lives in the mountains of Europe and southwest Asia
2 . ( also ˈchamois ˌleather /ˈʃæmi leðər $ -ər/) [uncountable and countable] soft leather prepared from the skin of chamois, sheep, or goats and used for cleaning or polishing, or a piece of this leather ⇨ shammy