An alternative spelling of chamois, a small agile mountain antelope found in alpine regions of Europe.
From Middle High German 'Gemse' or 'Gemze,' a dialect word for the chamois. The term traveled into English from Germanic languages as trade in chamois leather became important to European commerce.
Chamois (gemse) leather, made from the skin of these alpine antelopes, became the gold standard for cleaning glass and delicate surfaces because the leather's unique fiber structure creates an almost frictionless surface.
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