CHAMOIS

Not the well-known mountain goat of southern Europe, but probably a variety of wild sheep, resembling a goat, and still found in Arabia Petraea, De 14:5.

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Chamois. Chamois
Only in Deut. 14:5 (Heb. zemer), an animal of the deer or gazelle species. It bears this Hebrew name from its leaping or springing. The animal intended is probably the wild sheep (Ovis tragelephus), which is still found in Sinai and in the broken ridges of Stony Arabia. The LXX. and Vulgate render the word by camelopardus, i.e., the giraffe; but this is an animal of Central Africa, and is not at all known in Syria.

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CHAMOIS. → A species of antelope De 14:5

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chamois. Chamois, [ch as sh] n. an animal of the goat kind

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Cham″ois (shăm″my̆ or shȧ‐moi″; 277), n. [[F. chamois, prob. fr. OG. gamz, G. gemse.]] 1. 1. (Zoöl.) A small species of antelope (Rupicapra tragus), living on the loftiest mountain ridges of Europe, as the Alps, Pyrenees, etc. It possesses remarkable agility, and is a favorite object of chase.
2. 2. A soft leather made from the skin of the chamois, or from sheepskin, etc.; — called also chamois leather, and chammy or shammy leather. See Shammy.