a. (and sb.) Obs. Also 4 cammus, 5–8 camoise, -oys, -oyse, 6 ? -ous, 8 chamois. [a. F. camus, -use, ‘having a short and flat nose.’ Thurneysen refers it to a Celtic source, comparing the Ir. sb. camus hollow, retreating angle, bay, Gael. camas bought, bay, creek, space between the thighs: cf. Cambus- in place-names in Scotland. For another suggestion see Diez, and Littré.]
1. Of the nose: Low and concave. Of persons: Pug-nosed.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 4437. Ys browes were boþe rowe and grete, & ys nose cammus.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeves T., 14. Round was his face and camuse [so 3 MSS.; v.r. kamuse, camoyse, kammede, Harl. camois] was his nose.
1580. Baret, Alv., C 44. A Camoise nose, that is to say, crooked vpwarde as the Morians.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., VI. x. 328. Many Spaniards … of the race of Barbary Moores … have not worne out the Camoys nose unto this day.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., vii. (1653), 123. The Inhabitants have all Camoyse or saddle Noses.
1745. trans. Columella’s Husb., B vj. Such oxen … [as have] black eyes and lips, wide nostrils, a camoys nose.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., The Tartars are great admirers of camus beauties.
1877. R. H. Horne, in Mrs. Browning’s Lett., II. 277. A gentleman … with a large camus nose.
b. fig. Low and curved like a camois nose.
1664. Evelyn, trans. Freart’s Archit., xxi. 52. The Cornice is camuse and blunt.
c. Hence camois-nosed.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 336. The former haue flat noses, the other are hooked and camoise nosed vpward.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Camoise-nosed, hooked-nosed.
2. absol. or quasi-sb. A person or animal with a camois nose.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt. (1881), 94. The camuse … is geffroy langeuyn.
1515. Barclay, Egloges, IV. (1570), C vj. She with Bacchus her camous did promote.
1618. Sir R. Williams, Actions Lowe Countr., 49. White little hounds, with crooked noses, called Camuses.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Camus, a person with a low, flat nose, hollowed or sunk in the middle.
