camcorder

Definition

A camera recorder: a portable electronic device for recording images and audio on to a storage device, hence functioning as a camera and a recorder in a single unit.

Etymology

Blend of camera + recorder. Appears to be a borrowing from Japanese カムコーダー (kamukōdā), an original registered trademark filed for by Sony in 1981. First use appears c. 1982 in The Economist.

Example Sentences

• "You know where you never see a camcorder? At a funeral. Wouldn't that be fun? Especially if you didn't know any of the people there. Why not go to a stranger's funeral, and bring your camcorder? Have a little fun! Zoom in on the corpse's nose hairs. Then pull back, and pan over to the widow's tears. Get a tight shot of that. Do a montage of people wracked with grief. Then go home and put a laugh track on it! Smoke a joint and show it to your friends. That would be a lot of fun."