cam

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈkam 

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

For example, Axon’s Draft One uses generative AI to convert the audio from the body cam into a report narrative draft. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024

In addition to providing an exclusive experience to Taco Bell customers, the drive-thru cams are a part of the fast food chain's new Super Bowl advertising campaign. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2024

Drive up to the drive-thru cam and scan the QR code in the membership program’s app, and the camera will take a half dozen pictures of you and your crew, from both the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024

The team's on it and discovers traffic cam footage of a white van parked near the spot where Carnahan was murdered. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 3 Dec. 2024

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

Phrases Containing cam

• body cam
• cam girl
• cam wheel
• dash cam

Kids Definition

cam

1 of 2 noun

ˈkam 

: a device by which circular motion may be transformed into stop-and-start or back-and-forth motion

cam

2 of 2 noun

: camera sense 2

Etymology

Noun

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

Medical Definition

CAM

abbreviation

1

cell adhesion molecule

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

ˈkam 

river 40 miles (64 kilometers) long in Cambridgeshire, east central England, flowing into the Ouse River