cam

1 of 3

noun (1)

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

cam

2 of 3

noun (2)

: camera
especially : video camera

CAM

3 of 3

abbreviation

1
computer-aided manufacturing
2
complementary and alternative medicine

Examples of cam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Instead of the police finding security cam footage of Stan loading what could be a dead body in a bag into his car like in the book, Stan uses a boat from the marina for his mysterious disposal. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2024 The investigators should have reviewed all available body cam footage, which would have revealed more about the circumstances that led to the use of force. Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 The state trooper who had followed her ran to her door with his gun drawn, shouting at her to get out of the car, according to his dash cam video. Mike Baker, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 The sound can be seen and heard in Hernandez's body cam, police said, which recorded footage at 33 frames per second. Ben Brasch The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 15 Feb. 2024 Organizers with the statewide trail cam project known as Snapshot Wisconsin know the feeling. Paul Smith, Journal Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2024 In traffic cam footage released by BNO News, the aircraft is seen hitting the side of the highway before bursting into flames. Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Try the Raptor Resource Project's Mississippi River flyway cam, positioned on Lake Onalaska, or the National Eagle Center's Eaglewatch cam, overlooking the river in Wabasha, Minnesota. Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024 There’s nothing hypocritical about compartmentalizing a cam gig. Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps from French came, from German Kamm, literally, comb, from Old High German kamb

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cam was in 1777

Dictionary Entries Near cam

Cite this Entry

“Cam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cam. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids 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 noun
Etymology

Noun

perhaps from French came "cam," from German Kamm, literally, "comb"

Medical Definition

CAM

abbreviation
1
2
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)

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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