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cam

cam

146 4.3
A small camera on a computer or phone used for video calls
  • noun
  • /kæm/
  • Texting
: cámara
  • All right, so could you get the video Cam on the side or on the center?

Better yet, set up a camera, flip Cam or iPhone and go and interview them, right?

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Examples

  • I want to see all security cam videos from every nearby ATM, convenience store, bank.

  • We'll be able to see you from a small video cam mounted inside the helmet.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • So if we want a action Cam, this is all we need.

  • Got a security cam, over.

  • Turn on your web cam.

  • And NFL video is better than police body Cam video, right?

  • Dude, dash Cam caught every bit of it.

  • I used the doorbell Cam to catch porch pirates.

  • Everything's clear on my security cams.

  • I set up a cam in my office to join the video meeting.

Synonyms

camera
vscam
∞ 1.0

A machine that takes photos or records video

is the informal short form used mainly for built-in or live video devices
video camera
vscam
108 1.6

A machine that records moving pictures and sound

is the informal short form used more for built-in casual video devices
41 1.3

A camera that takes pictures and stores them so you can view them on a screen

is the informal short form often used for built-in devices that also transmit live video
camcorder
vscam
31 3.4

A small camera that records video and sound

is the informal short form used mainly for built-in or internet streaming devices
webcam
vscam
27 2.7

A small camera that sends live video to a computer or over the internet

is the informal short form commonly used for built-in live video devices
TV camera
vscam
25 1.8

A camera that records moving pictures for television

is the informal short form used mostly for personal or built-in video devices
minicam
vscam
  • Specialized
3 4.1

A very small portable camera used to record or broadcast video

is the informal short form that refers more to built-in live video devices
dashcam
vscam
3 3.5

A small camera on a car dashboard that records the road ahead

is the informal short form used for built-in personal or internet video devices
1 2.5

A machine that takes pictures using a lens and film or digital memory

is the informal short form used also for built-in devices that transmit live video
microcamera
vscam
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A very small camera that records tiny details or helps record without being seen

is the informal short form used broadly for regular built-in live video or photos

Compounds

1 3.8

A river in east central England that flows through Cambridge

cam stroke
  • Specialized
1 8.8

The maximum distance a part like a valve travels when a cam moves it

distributor cam
  • Specialized
8.6

A part inside a car distributor that turns to send a spark to each spark plug in order

Surface Forms

cam singular
cams plural

Etymology

Cam (short for camera) comes from the word camera, which meant 'room' and is the same root as chamber, because early cameras were like small rooms or boxes for light. So calling a webcam a cam is just a short form of that old word.