Definition of cameo
cameos
1a : a gem carved in relief (see 1relief 6); especially : a small piece of sculpture on a stone or shell cut in relief in one layer with another contrasting layer serving as backgroundb : a small medallion (see medallion 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
adjectivecameo
verb, transitive + intransitiveExplore Merriam-Webster
Examples of cameo in a Sentence
He has a brief cameo in the film.
Recent Examples of cameo from the Web
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Johnny Depp will continue in his role as Gellert Grindelwald following his cameo in the first film.
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Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson all have cameos in the movie, though none play NASCAR drivers.
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The movie includes cameos by several NASCAR drivers, but Soderbergh chose not to cast them as drivers.
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The book was adapted into a 1999 film of the same name, starring Billy Crudup and including a cameo by Johnson.
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Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg co-direct the fantasy film, also starring Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Kaya Scodelario and Brenton Thwaites, and featuring a cameo by Paul McCartney.
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The film also features the returns of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley — but in tiny cameos only — as the lovers Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann.
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In trailer number three, the double threat (the rapper/singer and Golden Globe-winning actor) makes a cameo.
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On Tuesday, Deadline reported that Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin would have a cameo in the upcoming third season of the HBO show, which debuts on March 31 and will be based on the first half of Martin’s novel Storm of Swords.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cameo'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of cameo
Middle English camew, from Medieval French camau, kamaheu
First Known Use: 15th century
CAMEO Defined for English Language Learners
cameo
playDefinition of cameo for English Language Learners
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: a small role in a movie, play, etc., that is performed by a well-known actor
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: a piece of jewelry that has a carved design shown against a background of a different color
Learn More about cameo
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See words that rhyme with cameo Spanish Central: Translation of cameo Nglish: Translation of cameo for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cameo for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cameo
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