cast
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1cast
verb \ˈkast\castcast·ing
Definition of CAST
transitive verb
1
a : to cause to move or send forth by throwing <cast a fishing lure> <cast dice> b : direct <cast a glance> c (1) : to put forth <the fire casts a warm glow> <cast light on the subject> (2) : to place as if by throwing <cast doubt on their reliability> d : to deposit (a ballot) formally e (1) : to throw off or away <the horse cast a shoe> (2) : to get rid of : discard <cast off all restraint> (3) : shed, molt (4) : to bring forth; especially : to give birth to prematurely f : to throw to the ground especially in wrestling g : to build by throwing up earth
2
3
a : to dispose or arrange into parts or into a suitable form or order b (1) : to assign the parts of (a dramatic production) to actors <cast a movie> (2) : to assign (as an actor) to a role or part <was cast in the leading role>
4
a : to give a shape to (a substance) by pouring in liquid or plastic form into a mold and letting harden without pressure <cast steel> b : to form by this process
5
: turn <cast the scale slightly>
6
: to make (a knot or stitch) by looping or catching up
intransitive verb
1
: to throw something; specifically : to throw out a lure with a fishing rod
2
dialect British : vomit
3
dialect English : to bear fruit : yield
4
a : to perform addition b obsolete : estimate, conjecture
5
: warp
6
: to range over land in search of a trail —used of hunting dogs or trackers
7
: veer
— cast·abil·i·ty \ˌkas-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun
— cast·able \ˈkas-tə-bəl\ adjective
— cast lots
: to draw lots to determine a matter by chance
See Examples of CAST
- Seaweed was cast up by the waves.
- The tree cast a long shadow on the lawn.
- How many votes were cast?
Origin of CAST
Middle English, from Old Norse kasta; akin to Old Norse kǫs heap
First Known Use: 13th century
Related to CAST
2cast
nounDefinition of CAST
1
a : an act of casting b : something that happens as a result of chance c : a throw of dice d : a throw of a line (as a fishing line) or net
2
a : the form in which a thing is constructed b (1) : the set of actors in a dramatic production (2) : a set of characters or persons <in both great houses there is the usual cast of servants — Elizabeth Bowen> c : the arrangement of draperies in a painting
3
: the distance to which a thing can be thrown; specifically : the distance a bow can shoot
4
a : a turning of the eye in a particular direction; also : expression <this freakish, elfish cast came into the child's eye — Nathaniel Hawthorne> b : a slight strabismus
5
: something that is thrown or the quantity thrown; especially British : the leader of a fishing line
6
a : something that is formed by casting in a mold or form: as (1) : a reproduction (as of a statue) in metal or plaster : casting (2) : a fossil reproduction of the details of a natural object by mineral infiltration b : an impression taken from an object with a liquid or plastic substance : mold c : a rigid casing (as of fiberglass or of gauze impregnated with plaster of paris) used for immobilizing a usually diseased or broken part
7
8
a : an overspread of a color or modification of the appearance of a substance by a trace of some added hue : shade <gray with a greenish cast> b : tinge, suggestion
9
a : a ride on one's way in a vehicle : lift b Scottish : help, assistance
10
a : shape, appearance <the delicate cast of her features> b : characteristic quality <his father's conservative cast of mind>
11
: something that is shed, ejected, or thrown out or off: as a : the excrement of an earthworm b : a mass of soft matter formed in cavities of diseased organs and discharged from the body c : the skin of an insect
12
: the ranging in search of a trail by a dog, hunting pack, or tracker
Examples of CAST
- She has a cast on her arm.
- They made a mask from a wax cast of her face.
First Known Use of CAST
14th century
Related to CAST
- Synonyms
- auguring, augury, bodement, prediction, forecast, forecasting, foretelling, predicting, presaging, prognosis, prognostic, prognosticating, prognostication, prophecy (also prophesy), soothsaying, vaticination
Other Performing Arts Terms
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