cam

1 of 3

noun (1)

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

cam

2 of 3

noun (2)

: camera
especially : video camera

CAM

3 of 3

abbreviation

1
computer-aided manufacturing
2
complementary and alternative medicine

Examples of cam in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Via doorbell cam, Sweeney’s home security system allegedly alerted her to a person sneaking around her property, prompting the actress to contact the authorities. Jack Smart, People.com, 19 Oct. 2024 The zoo’s agreement with Chinese officials, reached in February, had raised questions about how the live panda cam would operate. Karen Kucher, The Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2024 The San Diego Zoo unveiled its panda cam Tuesday, giving fans around-the-clock access to Yun Chuan and Xin Bao. Axios San Diego, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024 On the same day Washington received its new pair, San Diego officials announced the launch of its own live panda cam. Nectar Gan, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cam 

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.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps from French came, from German Kamm, literally, comb, from Old High German kamb

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cam was in 1777

Dictionary Entries Near cam

Cite this Entry

“Cam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cam. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids 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 noun
Etymology

Noun

perhaps from French came "cam," from German Kamm, literally, "comb"

Medical Definition

CAM

abbreviation
1
2
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)

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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