camera

The word “camera” means a device used to take photographs or record video. In plain terms, usually the device you take photos or video with; occasionally a legal term for a private courtroom session.

“Camera” is pronounced KA-muh-ruh (/ˈkæməɹə/ in IPA).

Here is “camera” used in a sentence: “He grabbed his camera to photograph the sunset.”

“Camera” is a noun.

The word “camera” comes from Latin. A learned borrowing from Latin camera ("chamber"); the device sense is short for camera obscura, Latin for "dark chamber.".

“Camera” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Camera” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a device used to take photographs or record video.

Common types include DSLR and mirrorless cameras favored by enthusiasts, compact 'point-and-shoot' cameras, and the smartphone cameras most people use daily. Others are built for specific jobs — action cameras for sports, instant cameras that print photos, and traditional film cameras still valued by hobbyists.

A DSLR uses a mirror to reflect light from the lens up into an optical viewfinder. A mirrorless camera removes that mirror, showing the image on a digital screen or electronic viewfinder instead. Mirrorless bodies are usually smaller and lighter, which is why they have grown so popular.

Light passes through the lens, which focuses it onto a light-sensitive surface — a digital sensor in modern cameras, or film in older ones. The shutter controls how long that surface is exposed. The captured light is then recorded as a photograph or, frame by frame, as video.