Cha*me"le*on (kȧ*mē"lē*ŭn),
n. [L. Chamaeleon, Gr.
chamaile`wn, lit., "ground lion;" chamai`
on the ground + le`wn lion. See Humble, and
Lion.] (Zoöl.) A lizardlike reptile of
the genus Chamæleo, of several species, found in
Africa, Asia, and Europe. The skin is covered with fine
granulations; the tail is prehensile, and the body is much
compressed laterally, giving it a high back.
☞ Its color changes more or less with the color of the
objects about it, or with its temper when disturbed. In a cool,
dark place it is nearly white, or grayish; on admitting the
light, it changes to brown, bottle-green, or blood red, of
various shades, and more or less mottled in arrangment. The
American chameleons belong to Anolis and allied genera of
the family Iguanidæ. They are more slender in form
than the true chameleons, but have the same power of changing
their colors.
Chameleon mineral (Chem.), the
compound called potassium permanganate, a dark violet,
crystalline substance, KMnO4, which in formation
passes through a peculiar succession of color from green to blue,
purple, red, etc. See Potassium permanganate, under
Potassium.