cameo
a technique of engraving upon a gem or other stone, as onyx, in such a way that an underlying stone of one color is exposed as a background for a low-relief design of another color.
a gem or other stone so engraved.
a literary sketch, small dramatic scene, or the like, that effectively presents or depicts its subject: His collection of poetry gives us cameos of contemporary life that we can all readily identify with.
Also called cameo role . a minor part played by a prominent performer or celebrity in a single scene of a motion picture, play, or television show.
to appear in a cameo role, as in a motion picture: She’s starred or cameoed in five films by the same director.
Origin of cameo
1Words Nearby cameo
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cameo in a sentence
This roommate comedy, which aired for seven seasons on Fox, is funny, sweet and once featured a cameo by Prince.
Nostalgic for good, old-fashioned network TV? Here are 15 shows you can stream, from ‘The Office’ to ‘Cheers’ | Bethonie Butler | January 15, 2021 | Washington PostStefanski will take the reins back from cameo head coach and usual special teams coordinator Mike Priefer, a native Clevelander who owns the most unusual 1-0 record in NFL history.
Browns shake off their history, secure first playoff win since 1995 | Adam Kilgore, Des Bieler | January 11, 2021 | Washington PostThough the insider musical-theater jokes are fun — Priscilla Lopez, for instance, makes a cameo to send up her own performance in the original “A Chorus Line” — more attention must be paid to the basics of plot development.
Judy and Mickey would have loved the TikTok ‘Ratatouille’ — 2021’s answer to ‘Let’s put on a show!’ | Peter Marks | January 2, 2021 | Washington PostThere’s humor and drama and headaches galore, not to mention celebrity cameos and more than one trip to the Titanic.
A journey to the bottom of the oceans — all five of them | Lucinda Robb | December 18, 2020 | Washington PostHis rebooted life has included acting on the big screen, most notably a memorable cameo in “The Hangover,” and on Broadway in “Undisputed Truth,” a one-man production starring Tyson that his wife wrote and Spike Lee directed.
Mike Tyson fought for the first time in 15 years. So much had changed. | Gene Wang | November 29, 2020 | Washington Post
How did you wrangle Nicole Kidman for her hilarious cameo in the movie?
Stephen Merchant Talks ‘Hello Ladies’ movie, the Nicole Kidman Cameo, and Legacy of ‘The Office’ | Marlow Stern | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTarantino would later cast Chiba in a cameo as legendary sword maker Hattori Hanzo in Kill Bill: Vol.
The Secrets of ‘Pulp Fiction’: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About the Movie on Its 20th Anniversary | Marlow Stern | October 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST[Laughs] I was down there watching him for a while—I did a cameo with him at the end of the film—and he was very funny.
R.L. Stine’s Secret to Scaring the Crap Out of Kids | Kevin Fallon | October 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI went to Siena, which was cast as Perugia, for a cameo role as a television journalist in the film.
What It's Like to Watch Kate Beckinsale Play You in a Movie | Barbie Latza Nadeau | September 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe film stars Michael Parks, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, and features a cameo by Johnny Depp.
Watch the Best Footage From Comic-Con ‘14: ‘Interstellar,’ ‘Ant-Man,’ ‘Batman v Superman,’ More | Marlow Stern | July 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt is a cameo head of Elizabeth, cut in a sardonyx, and set in a gold ring, enamelled at the back.
Private Letters of Edward Gibbon (1753-1794) Volume 1 (of 2) | Edward GibbonAmong the monkish loot at St. Albans was an ancient cameo herewith reproduced.
Archaic England | Harold BayleyThe intaglio work on this side is not equal to that in cameo, on the other.
Scarabs | Isaac MyerHis arms were about the lithe figure, drawing her close when he became aware of the clean-carven cameo face so near him.
Where the Pavement Ends | John RussellA cameo dropped in one place, a clay figure of Minerva set up in another, completed the picture.
The Long Night | Stanley Weyman
British Dictionary definitions for cameo
/ (ˈkæmɪˌəʊ) /
a medallion, as on a brooch or ring, with a profile head carved in relief
(as modifier): a cameo necklace
an engraving upon a gem or other stone of at least two differently coloured layers, such as sardonyx, so carved that the background is of a different colour from the raised design
a stone with such an engraving
a single and often brief dramatic scene played by a well-known actor or actress in a film or television play
(as modifier): a cameo role
a short literary work or dramatic sketch
(as modifier): a cameo sketch
Origin of cameo
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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