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
Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
The format of the meme is a bit of a mystery—perhaps it can be attributed to the popularity of true-crime podcasts, or the abundance of police body cam footage posted online, a case of content blending together in the digital melting pot.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
The stage is sparse; props and set pieces replaced with live projections from a steady cam.
—Kathryn Vandervalk, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2024
There’s also one 15-watt USB port near the rearview mirror to accommodate a dash cam.
—Roberto Baldwin, WIRED, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cam 
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Noun
In Indiana one November, bowhunter Brent Ireland got a single cam picture of a double-drop giant.
—Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
The format of the meme is a bit of a mystery—perhaps it can be attributed to the popularity of true-crime podcasts, or the abundance of police body cam footage posted online, a case of content blending together in the digital melting pot.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
The stage is sparse; props and set pieces replaced with live projections from a steady cam.
—Kathryn Vandervalk, EW.com, 21 Oct. 2024
There’s also one 15-watt USB port near the rearview mirror to accommodate a dash cam.
—Roberto Baldwin, WIRED, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cam
Dictionary Entries Near cam
Cite this Entry
“Cam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cam. Accessed 4 Dec. 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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