a rotating disk shaped to convert circular into linear motion
"The engineer adjusted the cam on the engine valve to ensure smoother linear movement from the circular rotation of the crankshaft."
A turning or sliding piece which imparts motion to a rod, lever or block brought into sliding or rolling contact with it.
"The clinic's new policy requires all practitioners to register their cam techniques in the state database before seeing patients."
Camera.
Acronym of complementary and alternative medicine.
In plain English: A cam is a wheel with an off-center shape that moves another part back and forth when it spins.
"The security cam caught the thief running away from the store."
Usage: In everyday usage, a cam is a mechanical device with an eccentric shape that converts rotational motion into linear motion or vice versa. Do not confuse this hardware component with the acronym CAM, which stands for complementary and alternative medicine.
To go on webcam with someone.
"I can't join our meeting right now because my internet is acting up and I need to check if my cam works before going on webcam with the team."
In plain English: To cam something means to cover it up with camouflage so it blends into its surroundings and becomes hard to see.
"The security system automatically cams the parking lot when motion is detected."
Usage: To cam means to join a live video call or broadcast using a webcam. Use this term when describing the act of appearing on screen in real-time with others online.
Alternative form of kam
"In my old family photos, I always spelled his nickname as cam instead of kam because that's how we've written it for years."
In plain English: To cam means to move quickly and smoothly, usually while talking or acting.
"The light cam in through the cracks in the wall."
Usage: Use "cam" as an informal, often humorous, alternative to "came," indicating past arrival or appearance; it's less formal and sometimes implies unexpectedness. Example: "He cam over for dinner last night."
Abbreviation of Campeche, a state of Mexico.
"His neighbor, Cam, invited everyone over for a barbecue on Saturday."
A river in Cambridgeshire, England, which passes through Cambridge and joins the Great Ouse.
A diminutive of the male given name Cameron.
The word "cam" entered English in the 16th century from the Dutch kam, which originally meant a comb but came to refer specifically to a cog on a wheel. It is related to the English word "comb," though it developed its mechanical meaning independently as a distinct term for this curved projection.