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
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
Sandy Steers knew that heartache was possible — for herself and for the nearly 40,000 viewers of the live cam monitoring Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow.
—Amy Hubbard, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Thousands have tuned in to a YouTube live cam operated by conservation organization Friends of Big Bear Valley to monitor Jackie, Shadow and their three eggs — and watch the avian couple bicker.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
Bald eagle Jackie laid the first of three eggs on Jan. 25, with 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, 4 Mar. 2024
During February, an extender on the sampler lever engages with a cam located under the leap-year disc.
—Bhanu Chopra, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Hall yelled incoherently and threw herself on the ground when officers detained her, police body cam video shows.
—Daphne Duret, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024
Watch: Diddy’s alleged ‘mule’ arrested at Miami airport, new body cam footage reveals
While those loopholes exist, Elliot thinks a normal person wouldn’t know.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
In the body cam footage, Thacker remarked that any crime should be a felony after certain number of incidents.
—Eric Levenson, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
Noun
In 2022, the live cam of their nest got over 70,000 viewers.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
Sandy Steers knew that heartache was possible — for herself and for the nearly 40,000 viewers of the live cam monitoring Big Bear bald eagles Jackie and Shadow.
—Amy Hubbard, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Thousands have tuned in to a YouTube live cam operated by conservation organization Friends of Big Bear Valley to monitor Jackie, Shadow and their three eggs — and watch the avian couple bicker.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
Bald eagle Jackie laid the first of three eggs on Jan. 25, with 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, 4 Mar. 2024
During February, an extender on the sampler lever engages with a cam located under the leap-year disc.
—Bhanu Chopra, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Hall yelled incoherently and threw herself on the ground when officers detained her, police body cam video shows.
—Daphne Duret, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024
Watch: Diddy’s alleged ‘mule’ arrested at Miami airport, new body cam footage reveals
While those loopholes exist, Elliot thinks a normal person wouldn’t know.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
In the body cam footage, Thacker remarked that any crime should be a felony after certain number of incidents.
—Eric Levenson, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
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 19 Apr. 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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