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

Lindsay Lohan, the star of the original 2004 movie, made a cameo in the new film, and Tina Fey and Tim Meadows reprised their roles as a math teacher and the principal of North Shore High School, respectively. —Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024

There are cameos from young (to me) versions of Paul Giamatti, Jeremy Piven, Eric Stoltz and Tim Burton. —Sam Anderson, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2024

Elsewhere in the video, there are cameos from a litany of famous — and infamous — New Yorkers. —Dustin Nelson, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024

Will Smith — in character as his iconic Men in Black character, Agent J — made a surprise cameo during Balvin’s set. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024

Lana’s set will be a pinnacle of a career steeped in L.A. mythology, so can Del Rey convince Swift, the most famous artist in the world, to drop by for brief harmony cameo on the Coachella main stage? —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024

Most of his returns have been for cameos, but this latest run (and payday) might have reignited his interest in wrestling. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024

But there was still one last cameo: Ryan Gosling, who could be seen putting on a Five-Timers Club jacket off stage. —USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024

Martin Scorsese will reportedly make a cameo playing Alighieri’s mentor. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English camew, from Middle French camau, kamaheu

First Known Use

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

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