A single overhead cam (SOHC) V8 engine is a type of internal combustion engine that has a V-shaped arrangement of eight cylinders and uses a single camshaft located in the cylinder head for each bank of four cylinders. This camshaft operates the intake and exhaust valves for its respective four cylinders. This contrasts with a *dual* overhead cam (DOHC) V8, which uses two camshafts per cylinder bank (one for intake, one for exhaust).
In simpler terms: It's a V8 engine with only one camshaft controlling all the valves in each half of the engine. SOHC designs are generally simpler and less expensive to manufacture than DOHC designs, but often offer slightly less performance potential due to limitations in valve control.
