Lexical Definition

‎תַּנְשֶׁמֶת‎ tanshemeth (tan-sheh'-meth) chameleon ^H:N-F
from ‎נָשַׁם‎

mole, swan.

• properly, a hard breather, i.e. the name of two unclean creatures, a lizard and abird (both perhaps from changing color through their irascibility), probably the tree-toad and the water-hen

1) an unclean animal of some kind
1a) an unclean bird
1a1) perhaps the ibis, water-hen, species of owl, barn owl
1b) an unclean lizard
1b1) perhaps the chameleon
1c) perhaps an extinct lizard or bird, exact meaning unknown

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎תִּנְשֶׁ֫מֶת‎ noun feminine an animal; — ‎׳‎‎ת‎ Lev 11:18, ‎תִּנְשָּׁ֑מֶת‎ Lev 11:30; Deut 14:16: —

1. unclean bird, the ibis, water-hen, ᵐ5. πορφυρίων, (accusative Tristr^{NHB 249}); or species of owl (Di Bu SS); pelican (Ges): Lev 11:18 = Deut 14:16.

2. unclean ‎שֶׁרֶץ‎ Lev 11:30, lizard (Saad Tristr^{NHB 120}), or chameleon (Bo^{Hieroz. i. 1078 ff.; ed. Rosenm. ii. 503 ff.}), so most; (deriving name from alleged living on air, Plin^{NH viii. 51}; but this not applicable to 1; compare Lag^{BN 130 f.}).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References