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
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2026
Politicians don’t wear body cams, or broadcast their lives 24/7.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
From their close‑knit family bonds to their remarkable adaptations for life in the Arctic — tune into our live cams on social media to get a real-time look at belugas swimming and interacting.
—Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
The battery life, which is often the Achilles Heel of action cams, gets a boost.
—New Atlas, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cam
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Noun
FedEx vehicles have a dashcam that shows a forward-facing view and a cabin cam that shows the driver and the inside of the van.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2026
Politicians don’t wear body cams, or broadcast their lives 24/7.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
From their close‑knit family bonds to their remarkable adaptations for life in the Arctic — tune into our live cams on social media to get a real-time look at belugas swimming and interacting.
—Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
The battery life, which is often the Achilles Heel of action cams, gets a boost.
—New Atlas, 16 Apr. 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 18 Apr. 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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