camera

¹ American  

[kam-er-uh, kam-ruh] / ˈkæm ər ə, ˈkæm rə /

noun

1. a device for capturing a photographic image or recording a video, using film or digital memory.

2. (in a television transmitting apparatus) the device in which the picture to be televised is formed before it is changed into electric impulses.

---

adjective

1. Printing. camera-ready.

idioms

1. on camera, being filmed or televised by a live camera.

   Be sure to look alert when you are on camera.

2. off camera,

   1. out of the range of a video camera, as a television or motion picture camera.

      The stunt woman was waiting just off camera for her cue to enter the scene.

   2. (of an actor) in one’s private rather than professional life.

      The two co-stars are best friends off camera.

camera ² American  

[kam-er-uh] / ˈkæm ər ə /

noun

• camerae
  plural

1. a judge's private office.

---

idioms

1. in camera,

   1. Law. in the privacy of a judge's chambers.

   2. privately.

camera British  

/ ˈkæmrə, ˈkæmərə /

noun

1. an optical device consisting of a lens system set in a light-proof construction inside which a light-sensitive film or plate can be positioned See also cine camera digital camera

2. television the equipment used to convert the optical image of a scene into the corresponding electrical signals

3. See camera obscura

4. a judge's private room

5. 1. law relating to a hearing from which members of the public are excluded

   2. in private

6. not within an area being filmed

7. (esp of an actor) being filmed

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• camerae
  plural

Etymology

Origin of camera¹

First recorded in 1730–40; shortening of camera obscura ( def. ); 1840-45 camera ¹ for def. 1; utimately from Latin camera “vaulted room, vault”; see camera ² ( def. )

Origin of camera²

First recorded in 1630–40; for earlier sense “vaulted room,” from Latin, from Greek kamára “vault, vaulted room”; see chamber ( def. )

Explanation

A camera records images in the form of photographs, film or video. If you want evidence that you've spotted Bigfoot in the woods behind your house, you'll need a camera. The noun camera typically refers to a film or digital device that captures still pictures when you press a button. A film camera stores images on a strip of film that must be developed with special chemicals, while a digital camera keeps them on a memory card, and with the help of a computer you can see the pictures almost instantly. The original meaning of camera, "vaulted building," came from Latin via the Greek root kamera, "vaulted chamber."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

camera camerae

Every pair of glasses with a camera has a bright light on the front that blinks when the user takes a photo or video and it can’t be turned off, a spokesperson for Meta said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Social media platforms like YouTube have helped make it easier for anyone with a camera to create original content and spread it to the masses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

Reconnaissance drones in civilian service would need safeguards, as they could be ripe for exploitation by law enforcement, in much the same manner as the Flock camera network.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez said in a statement Sunday that his department is “conducting a thorough review of the incident, including body worn camera footage, reports, and the circumstances surrounding the arrest.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

I grab my camera and tripod; we walk through the cozy, tidy house and enter the kitchen.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Chambers, or camerae, monks', 47-50 Chapter House, 30 Charing Cross, 47 f.,

From William de Colchester Abbot of Westminster by Ernest Harold Pearce

They were servi camerae, serfs of the state, and as such had to pay oppressive taxes.

From Jewish History : an essay in the philosophy of history by S. M. (Simon Markovich) Dubnow

Some light is thrown upon these camerae by the inventories of medieval nunneries.

From Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535 by Eileen Power

Apparently he returned to court life in England, and to the duties of valettus camerae regis.

From Chaucer and His Times by Grace E. Hadow

Under the circumstances, if Chaucer ever was a "vallettus camerae Regis," we should expect him to have been so called more than once.

From Chaucer's Official Life by James Root Hulbert

Related Words

• camcorder