chamaeleon
καὶ οἱ ἀμαθέστατοι τῶν ἰατρῶν τὸ αὐτὸ σοὶ ποιοῦσιν, ἐλεφαντίνους νάρθηκας καὶ σικύας ἀργυρᾶς ποιούμενοι καὶ σμίλας χρυσοκολλήτους: ὁπόταν δὲ καὶ χρήσασθαι τούτοις δέῃ, οἱ μὲν οὐδὲ ὅπως χρὴ μεταχειρίσασθαι αὐτὰ ἴσασιν → the most ignorant of doctors do the same as you, getting themselves ivory containers, silver cupping instruments, and gold-inlaid scalpels; but when it's time to use those things, they haven't the slightest notion of how to handle them
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
chămaelĕon: ōnis and ontis, m., = χαμαιλέων>.
I Masc., a kind of lizard that changes its color, the chameleon, Plin. 8, 33, 51, § 120; 10, 52, 73, § 143; Gell. 10, 12, 1 sq.—
II Masc. and fem., a plant, the carline thistle; masc., Plin. 22, 18, 21, § 45; 27, 13, 118, § 143; fem., id. 30, 4, 10, § 30.
