cam

noun \ ˈkam \

Definition of cam

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

Origin and Etymology of cam

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1777

See Words from the same year

cam

noun

Definition of cam

:camera; especially :video camera

First Known Use of cam

1977

CAM

abbreviation

Definition of CAM

1 computer-aided manufacturing

2 complementary and alternative medicine

Cam

geographical name \ ˈkam \

Definition of Cam

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

Medical Dictionary

CAM

abbreviation

medical Definition of CAM

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), 19 Mar. 2006