camcorder

camcorder — noun

1. a portable device for recording video and sound, designed so that you can hold i

1.nounB1
Definition

a portable device for recording video and sound, designed so that you can hold it in one hand while filming

Example

Yusuf borrowed a camcorder to record his cousin's wedding in Mexico.

collocation: borrow + camcorder

The old camcorder had a scratch on the lens from years of family use.

Synonyms
  • video camera

    broader term that includes professional and fixed-position cameras, while camcorder specifically describes a portable hand-held design

  • hand-held recorder

    emphasises the carrying feature but is less common in everyday speech

  • portable video recorder

    describes the function clearly but sounds more technical than camcorder

Common Mistakes

I filmed the concert with my camcorder camera.
I filmed the concert with my camcorder.
The word camcorder already includes the concept of a camera, so adding 'camera' is redundant.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Camcorder is the everyday word for a small portable device made specifically to record video, typically with a built-in screen and a shape that fits in the hand. Video camera is a broader label that covers everything from professional studio cameras to the lens on a phone. In casual conversation, people often use "video camera" for short, but a camcorder is a particular type of video camera designed for easy carrying. Hand-held recorder focuses on the portability aspect but sounds less natural in daily use. Portable video recorder describes the function accurately but is more technical and rarely used outside product descriptions. For everyday situations such as filming a family party or a school event, camcorder is the most common choice.

camcorder ↗video camerahand-held recorderportable video recorder

Common collocations

Phrases

  • digital camcorder
  • hand-held camcorder
  • use a camcorder
  • film with a camcorder
  • camcorder case
  • camcorder battery

Prepositions

  • with a camcorder
  • on a camcorder

Etymology

English (portmanteau: camera + recorder)

Camcorder is a blend (portmanteau) of the words camera and recorder. It was first used in the early 1980s when electronics companies began selling all-in-one portable video devices that combined a camera lens with a built-in tape recorder, replacing the older separate camera-and-deck systems.