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
Essence, 3 Sep. 2024
Most of Baby Invasion was shot with what look like body cams, offering a fisheye lens-view of the chaos.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2024
Dana Taylor: Finally, is the giant panda cam coming back?
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 31 July 2024
Body cam footage shows the cat was scared and when officers approached, would pounce away, even going out into a street.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cam 
Noun
A little over two weeks after Massey was murdered, Black women across the nation were forced to relive and mentally grapple with the tragedy of the scene, as the Illinois State Police released body cam footage of the incident.
—Essence, 3 Sep. 2024
Most of Baby Invasion was shot with what look like body cams, offering a fisheye lens-view of the chaos.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2024
Dana Taylor: Finally, is the giant panda cam coming back?
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 31 July 2024
Body cam footage shows the cat was scared and when officers approached, would pounce away, even going out into a street.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cam
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.
Dictionary Entries Near cam
Cite this Entry
“Cam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cam. Accessed 9 Sep. 2024.
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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