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
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Judy Berman, Time, 30 May 2025
For Hi-Res Portraits Bird Buddy Pro Solar Smart Bird Feeder
$299 $249
Amazon
Specs
The Bird Buddy Smart Bird Feeder is like a doorbell cam for your backyard birds—but way cuter.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 28 May 2025
That is, one dash cam clip is not—or shouldn’t be—enough to render a verdict in the court of public opinion on all who serve.
—Chris Dorsey, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
When her senior cat didn't show up to greet her at the door, a woman from Massachusetts went into panic, and the heart-stopping moment, caught on pet cam, has gone viral on social media.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cam
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Noun
Body cam footage of the shooting, along with an already-irascible reputation, ensures his return is anything but triumphant.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 May 2025
For Hi-Res Portraits Bird Buddy Pro Solar Smart Bird Feeder
$299 $249
Amazon
Specs
The Bird Buddy Smart Bird Feeder is like a doorbell cam for your backyard birds—but way cuter.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 28 May 2025
That is, one dash cam clip is not—or shouldn’t be—enough to render a verdict in the court of public opinion on all who serve.
—Chris Dorsey, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
When her senior cat didn't show up to greet her at the door, a woman from Massachusetts went into panic, and the heart-stopping moment, caught on pet cam, has gone viral on social media.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 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 6 Jun. 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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