cameo

cam·eo | \ ˈka-mē-ˌō

plural cameos

Definition of cameo

1a : 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

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Examples of cameo in a Sentence

He has a brief cameo in the film.

Recent Examples on the Web During the meal, Bieber’s table also gets a visit from one of his adorable cats, who makes a brief cameo to sniff some of the various dishes. — Benjamin Vanhoose, PEOPLE.com, "Watch Justin Bieber Shove Scooter Braun’s Face Into Plate of Cake in ‘Yummy’ Video Outtake," 6 Jan. 2020 Tomlin’s wedding cameo comes days after the actress fulfilled her promise to get arrested as part of friend and costar Jane Fonda’s Fire Drill Fridays climate change protest. — Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, "Kathy Griffin is now married, thanks to Lily Tomlin," 2 Jan. 2020 Partway through the video, momager Kris Jenner made a surprise cameo just in time for Stormi to start decorating the cookies with colorful icing and candies. — Glenn Rowley, Billboard, "A Kardashian Family Khristmas: Kimye Give North $65,000 Present, Sia Performs at Their Party & More," 26 Dec. 2019 Viewers may recall that John made a brief cameo at the end of the first film with his Lara Jean letter in hand, serving as a bit of a cliffhanger and teaser for what's to come. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "The sequel to Netflix's 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' now has an official trailer—with a new guy.," 19 Dec. 2019 Getting back Looney, whose only playing time this season was a 10-minute cameo in the opener, should help stabilize the Warriors’ frontcourt. — Connor Letourneau, SFChronicle.com, "Warriors’ Kevon Looney on track to return Monday vs. Hawks," 1 Dec. 2019 This interactive storytelling performance features costumed characters, plenty of laughs, and even a cameo from Santa's elves. — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, "Gatlinburg Winter Magic Kicks Off Later This Month with Christmas Fun for All Ages," 8 Nov. 2019 After impressive cameo against USC, Blake Stenstrom ready for CU Buffs if called upon + Odell Beckham Jr. has Baker Mayfield’s back, believes Browns close to breakout. — Jeff Bailey, The Denver Post, "Cale Makar’s blistering October has him on pace to break Avalanche records," 1 Nov. 2019 Renaissance pope Paul II was a big cameo collector; Napoleon allegedly wore one to his wedding. — Vogue, "Rihanna Celebrates the Beauty of Black Women With a Collection of Fenty Cameos," 31 Oct. 2019

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.