1
: a rotating or sliding piece (such as an eccentric wheel or a cylinder with an irregular shape) in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear motion or vice versa
2
: camshaft
an engine with a single overhead cam
: camera
especially
: video camera
1
computer-aided manufacturing
2
complementary and alternative medicine
Examples of cam in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 May 2026
Staying true to what Rosen said about the show’s absence of clear villains, Flynn agreed that his cam boy may not be a typical bad guy.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
The kiss cams and sing-alongs and air horns and thunder sticks are all integrated into the game, not reserved for stoppages in play.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
He was taken into custody at the scene, after botching several sobriety tests, body-cam footage shows.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
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Noun
In order to cope with her loneliness, Paula has also developed a fondness for a cam boy named Trevor (played by Brandon Flynn) who, in the first episode of the series, is suddenly assaulted and kidnapped on camera in the middle of a session Paula is paying for.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 May 2026
Staying true to what Rosen said about the show’s absence of clear villains, Flynn agreed that his cam boy may not be a typical bad guy.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
The kiss cams and sing-alongs and air horns and thunder sticks are all integrated into the game, not reserved for stoppages in play.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
He was taken into custody at the scene, after botching several sobriety tests, body-cam footage shows.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cam
Cite this Entry
“Cam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cam. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cam
1 of 2 noun
: a device by which circular motion may be transformed into stop-and-start or back-and-forth motion
cam
2 of 2 nounEtymology
Noun
perhaps from French came "cam," from German Kamm, literally, "comb"
Medical Definition
CAM
abbreviation2
complementary and alternative medicine
According to a 2002 survey by the National Center for Health Statistics, 36 percent of adults in the United States used some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including naturopathy, relaxation techniques, chiropractic, yoga, massage, and diets.—In-Sung Yoo, The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware)
In-Sung Yoo, The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware)Geographical Definition
Cam
geographical name
river 40 miles (64 kilometers) long in Cambridgeshire, east central England, flowing into the Ouse River
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