n.
Pronunciation: ' sha-m ē , sense 1 also sham- ' wä
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural cham · ois also cham · oix \ sense 1 ' sha-m ē (z) or sham- ' wä(z), senses 2 & 3 ' sha-m ē z \
Etymology: Middle French, from Late Latin camox
Date: 1560
1 : a small goatlike bovid ( Rupicapra rupicapra ) of mountainous regions from southern Europe to the Caucasus
2 also cham · my or sham · my \ ' sha-m ē \ : a soft pliant leather prepared from the skin of the chamois or from sheepskin
3 : a cotton fabric made in imitation of chamois leather