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• cam
  cam

  noun

  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.
• Cam
  Cam

  noun

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

  noun

  computer-aided manufacturing.
• Cam.
  Cam.

  abbreviation

  Cambridge.
• -cam
  -cam

  combining form

  camera

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

See Examples For:

cam Cam CAM Cam. camming

The shaky cam is intended to jolt us into that awareness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

"I would also ask anyone who was in the area and may have dash cam footage that could assist to get in touch."

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

A bald eagle believed to be Jackie, star of a Big Bear nest cam, is in stable condition at a rehabilitation center after being rescued over the weekend, according to the nonprofit behind the livestream.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

A bald eagle rescued near Big Bear over the weekend is likely Jackie, one-half of the beloved pair featured in a longtime nest livestream, according to the wildlife nonprofit behind the cam.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

My head jerks up to the security cam in one corner of my room’s ceiling, wondering if they are hacking it to watch me, and then my attention goes back to the message.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Cam, who works in his father’s garage and is called “Faid” for “financial aid,” she meets cute, crashing a bicycle into his truck and somersaulting into the bed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

In an era where pitchers are throwing more breaking balls than ever, Cam Schlittler of the New York Yankees is dominating with 90% heaters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Jackie and her partner, Shadow, have been watched by millions of people over the years through the Big Bear Eagle Nest Cam, run by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley in California.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Cam Baker is managing editor and formerly a reporter for Bloomberg News.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

“You know what?” she said while Cam grabbed one of her hands, squishing it in his own.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

The availability of CAM on the NHS is limited, and in most cases the NHS will not offer such treatments.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2024

Female evaluators judged those with skewed downward gazes more harshly than male evaluators, and the difference in the evaluation of the CAM and SKW stimuli for female interviewees was larger than the male interviewees.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 17, 2024

CAM is what makes the Western militaries so good, it was designed with the Soviet military approach in mind.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2023

CAM includes components like processed nickel, lithium and other materials that make up about 40% of the cost of a battery, the industry ministry said in a statement.

From Reuters ● May 29, 2023

The clumsy signature CAM was probably intended for Campi, the real author, and its genuineness is not above suspicion.

From Giorgione by Herbert Cook

Fitzpatrick echoed those sentiments, saying: "I love Cam. He's such a nice guy. He's so laid back. I knew we were going to have a good day, and it was."

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2026

“Hope the best for Cam. Obviously, had some great times with him, some great memories with him as well, but excited for Kyren.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2023

“So I love Cam. I want him to be able to be a guy that we’re heavily able to lean on, both him and Darrell.”

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2022

"I wanted to set it up for Cam. All the pressure is on the other guy to get it to 1-1 and that was my job."

From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2021

“Maarsii, Cam. Really, truly, in all the languages I know.”

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Some of their protection is pre-place bolts, but some is “traditional” gear — like self camming devices and passive protection such as “nuts.”

From New York Times ● Jan. 14, 2015