cam

¹ American  

[kam] / kæm /

noun

1. Machinery. a disk or cylinder having an irregular form such that its motion, usually rotary, gives to a part or parts in contact with it a specific rocking or reciprocating motion.

2. Automotive Slang. camshaft.

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verb (used with object)

cammed, camming

1. to provide (a machine part or mechanism) with a cam or cams.

cam ² American  

[kam] / kæm /

noun

1. a camera, especially one that records video (often used in combination, as in ).

   She's a professional photographer who uses state-of-the-art cams.

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Cam ³ American  

[kam] / kæm /

noun

1. a river in E England flowing NE by Cambridge, into the Ouse River. 40 miles (64 km) long.

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CAM ⁴ American  

[kam] / kæm /

noun

1. computer-aided manufacturing.

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Cam. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. Cambridge.

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CAM ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. complementary and alternative medicine

2. computer-aided manufacture

3. botany crassulacean acid metabolism: a form of photosynthesis, first described in crassulaceous plants, in which carbon dioxide is taken up only at night

4. Cameroon (international car registration)

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-cam ² British  

combining form

1. camera

   webcam

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Cam ³ British  

/ kæm /

noun

1. a river in E England, in Cambridgeshire, flowing through Cambridge to the River Ouse. Length: about 64 km (40 miles)

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cam ⁴ British  

/ kæm /

noun

1. a slider or roller attached to a rotating shaft to give a particular type of reciprocating motion to a part in contact with its profile

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Etymology

Origin of cam¹

< Dutch or Low German kam, kamm. See comb

Origin of cam²

First recorded in 1975–80; shortening of camera ¹ ( def. )

Origin of CAM⁴

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

"If you have any CCTV, dash cam footage or information that could help officers please contact the police."

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The police body cam footage of her arrest serves as the “Mormon Wives” premiere’s cliffhanger.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

Body cam footage shows the officer telling Garrett that she kept the charge under 100 mph so that a court appearance wouldn’t be mandatory.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

With a single, in-block cam, one timing chain and two valves per cylinder, Godzilla is so primitive it’s practically primeval.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

I turn on my phone cam and step behind him.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali