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

Last week’s cameo was timely, of course, because Hill has a new movie out, Outcome. —Josh Spiegel, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2026

And then there were a couple more celebrity cameos. —Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026

Deborah, livid, calls Jimmy — who is in the middle of a Zoom session with his therapist; voice cameo by Orna of Couples Therapy fame! —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026

Bardem stars in The Beloved by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, and Cruz has what Frémaux described as a memorable cameo in La Bola Negra by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 Apr. 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