A webcam is a small camera, built into or connected to a computer, that captures video and transmits it over the Internet. It is used for video calls and live streaming, among other purposes.
The first Webcam was made not for meetings, but to check whether Coffee was left. In 1991, Cambridge researchers aimed a camera at a distant coffee pot to avoid wasted trips; in 1993, the feed went on the web and became an early Internet landmark.