(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a piece of equipment that is used for taking photographs, making films, or producing television pictures.
Her gran lent her a ~ for a school trip to Venice and Egypt.
...a video ~...
They were caught speeding by hidden ~s.
N-COUNT
2.
If someone or something is on ~, they are being filmed.
Just about anything could happen and we’ll be there to catch it on ~ when it does.
PHRASE: usu PHR after v, v-link PHR
3.
If you do something or if something happens off ~, you do it or it happens when not being filmed.
They were anything but friendly off-~, refusing even to take the same lift.
...off-~ interviews.
PHRASE: usu PHR after v, PHR n
4.
If a trial is held in ~, the public and the press are not allowed to attend. (FORMAL)
This morning’s appeal was held in ~...
PHRASE: PHR after v