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
Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2025
That's what makes the pet cam a useful addition to the house.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
Last fall, Cromwell Valley Park’s critter cam captured a solitary beaver about 1000 yards downstream from that bridge, starting a new dam.
—Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 19 Feb. 2025
Dramatic dash cam video shows moment Sacramento driver flies off busy overpass.
—Fox News, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cam
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Noun
This year, Jackie welcomed the first of three eggs on Jan. 22, and laid two more within the next few days, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley, a conservation organization that operates a live cam of the nest.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2025
That's what makes the pet cam a useful addition to the house.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
Last fall, Cromwell Valley Park’s critter cam captured a solitary beaver about 1000 yards downstream from that bridge, starting a new dam.
—Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 19 Feb. 2025
Dramatic dash cam video shows moment Sacramento driver flies off busy overpass.
—Fox News, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cam
Cite this Entry
“Cam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cam. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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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