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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The closure means the National Zoo's beloved giant panda cam will not be in operation until the shutdown ends. Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025 Why the West is lagging In countries like South Korea and China, dash cam saturation is near-universal. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025 During the second day of her trial Thursday, NBC reported that prosecutors played body cam footage from the aftermath of the shooting in court. Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025 Their testimonies supplied evidence, such as dash cam footage, videos of Rocha shooting and 3D printing guns, police interviews with Rocha and his mother, and incidents where Rocha was found with contraband in prison. Pj Green october 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cam

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cam. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on cam

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!