cable modem

noun

plural cable modems
: a modem for connecting a computer to a network over a cable television line

Examples of cable modem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It was hosted at first on my desktop computer hooked up to my brand-new (and still somewhat exotic) cable modem. — Jeremy Reimer, Ars Technica, 29 Apr. 2024 But the cable modems required to implement such a digital broadband network were not on the mass market. — IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2025 Netgear WiFi 6 Router Deal The Nighthawk CAX30 replaces your cable modem and router, potentially saving you over $150 a year in fees. — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026 The arrival of broadband with cable modems and digital subscriber lines (DSL), combined with the new MPEG4 compression standard, made a lot of formerly impossible things possible. — ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cable modem

Word History

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cable modem was in 1981

Rhymes for cable modem

See All Rhymes for cable modem

Browse Nearby Words

cableman
cable modem
cable net
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cable modem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cable%20modem. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cable modem

noun
: a modem used to connect a computer to the Internet over a cable television line

More from Merriam-Webster on cable modem

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cable modem

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