The word 摄像头 (shèxiàngtóu) is formed by combining three meaningful characters into a single conceptual unit: 摄 (shè) means "to capture", 像 (xiàng) means "an image" or "a likeness", and 头 (tóu) here functions as a nominalizer meaning "head" or "unit", commonly used for mechanical devices. Together, they sequentially and logically describe the core function of the object: it is a "head" or "unit" that "captures" an "image", directly picturing a camera lens or sensor as the image-capturing front part of a larger system, thus creating the specific term for "camera" or "webcam".