Camber
/ˈkæm.bər/noun
A slight convex curve or arch in a surface, especially a road or beam.
Did you know?Camber entered English through Old French and ultimately traces back to Latin *camurus*, a word for something bent or arched, showing how a simple engineering term was born from the ancient language of curvature.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
camber
“a slight arch or convex curve, especially in a road, beam, or sail”
Middle English
ME
camber
“an arch or curve; a vaulted form”
Old French
OF
camber / cambre
“bent, curved, arched”
Late Latin
LL
camurus
“bent, arched, curved”
Latin
LA
camurus
“curved, arched”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kam-
“to bend, curve”