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
New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2025
Animal cams are considered nonessential and will be turned off for the remainder of the shutdown.
—The Npr Network, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
As for the on-cam streaming stuff, Gooncultist traces it to something called Rabbit, a platform designed to allow users to watch Netflix together, which proto-gooners found their own novel uses for.
—Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Their owner couldn’t resist sharing the heartwarming pet cam footage on her dog’s dedicated TikTok account.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cam
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Noun
This screen also does navigation when paired Yamaha's mobile app, and there's a new USB-C port to power your phone or action cam on the go.
—New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2025
Animal cams are considered nonessential and will be turned off for the remainder of the shutdown.
—The Npr Network, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
As for the on-cam streaming stuff, Gooncultist traces it to something called Rabbit, a platform designed to allow users to watch Netflix together, which proto-gooners found their own novel uses for.
—Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Their owner couldn’t resist sharing the heartwarming pet cam footage on her dog’s dedicated TikTok account.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 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 29 Oct. 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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