camel hump; railway hump
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
the hump on a camel's back that stores fat
The fat stored in the hump serves as an energy reserve when food is scarce, allowing camels to survive long periods without eating or drinking.
The camel's hump stores a large amount of fat that helps them survive for long periods in the desert.
Dromedaries have only one hump, while Bactrian camels have two.
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When a camel doesn't eat for a long time, its body will consume the fat in its hump.
noun
a railway hump; a mound used for sorting train cars by gravity
technicalUsed in railway marshalling yards to sort cars into different tracks using gravity. The height difference allows cars to roll automatically into designated tracks.
The railway hump is the core equipment of a marshalling yard, used for rapidly breaking down trains.
Cars automatically roll into designated tracks using the height difference of the hump.
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This hump has a designed capacity of 3,500 cars per hour.