cameo

noun

cam·​eo ˈka-mē-ˌō 

plural cameos

1

a

: a gem carved in relief (see relief entry 1 sense 6)

especially : a small piece of sculpture on a stone or shell cut in relief in one layer with another contrasting layer serving as background

b

: a small medallion (see medallion sense 2) with a profiled head in relief

2

: a carving or sculpture made in the manner of a cameo

3

: a usually brief literary or filmic piece that brings into delicate or sharp relief the character of a person, place, or event

… his cameos and short commentaries on men and manners.

—R. T. Dunlop

4

: a small theatrical role usually performed by a well-known actor and often limited to a single scene

A major star appears in a cameo in the movie.

broadly : a brief appearance or role

cameo adjective

cameo verb, transitive + intransitive

Examples of cameo in a Sentence

He has a brief cameo in the film.

Recent Examples on the Web

In February, Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show featured a surprise cameo from Toñita, a beloved icon of Williamsburg’s historically Puerto Rican Los Sures neighborhood. —Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 18 June 2026

Small dusky dolphins swarm the boat, riding its bow wave, while Hector’s dolphins, albatrosses, and humpback whales make cameos. —Steve Madgwick, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2026

Plus, there was a cameo from Hunting Wives stars Britney Snow and Malin Akerman, who sang a few bars and did an over-the-top fake-out make out. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026

These range from a bendy pizza slice with sunglasses (a voice cameo by Bad Bunny) to three tech gadgets left behind each time Blaze moved on to the next shiny new device. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English camew, from Middle French camau, kamaheu

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for cameo

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

cameo

noun

cam·​eo ˈkam-ē-ˌō 

plural cameos

1

: a carved gem in which the design is higher than its background

2

: a small role (as in a movie) performed by a well-known actor