cam

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈkam 

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

Law enforcement agencies such as Los Angeles police are planning to use AI to analyze the tone and word choice of officers in body cam videos. —Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2023

And some of these cams only update once every few seconds — or sometimes even less frequently. —Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 22 Nov. 2023

The images were culled from hundreds of hours of footage retrieved from terrorist body cams, security cameras, victims’ mobile phones and other sources. —Andrew Wallenstein, Variety, 9 Nov. 2023

That daycare whose security cam picked up a few moments of Doty’s onslaught? —Lauren Smiley, WIRED, 7 Nov. 2023

Accidents happen every day, so why not make sure you’re protected from other drivers’ mistakes with help from this dash cam? —Kathy Barr, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2023

After Irizarry rolled up the driver's side window, the district attorney's office claims that Dial discharged into the vehicle six times, and body cam footage showed Irizarry was hit at close range. —Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2023

At least two Alabama cities have released body cam footage, prompting some Mobile council members to inquire as to why the city cannot do the same. —John Sharp | [e-mail], al, 19 Sep. 2023

Each cam comes with a base and two screws to secure to a wall or window sill, while set up is plug-and-play with a smartphone and Blink mobile app. —Rudie Obias, Variety, 26 Oct. 2023

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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

Phrases Containing cam

• cam wheel
• body cam
• cam girl
• dash cam

• cam wheel
• body cam
• cam girl
• dash cam

Kids Definition

cam

1 of 2 noun

ˈkam 

: a device by which circular motion may be transformed into stop-and-start or back-and-forth motion

cam

2 of 2 noun

: camera sense 2

Etymology

Noun

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

Medical Definition

CAM

abbreviation

1

cell adhesion molecule

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

ˈkam 

river 40 miles (64 kilometers) long in Cambridgeshire, east central England, flowing into the Ouse River