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

Sharing the position with arguably the greatest right winger in the world in Lamine Yamal, however, most of these outings have been made in short cameos off the bench. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Romy’s guest-starring role comes over a month after Rob made a cameo in the second episode of the series, marking his last on-screen appearance. — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026

And Dad actually makes an uncredited vocal cameo on one of the album’s more blessedly strange tracks. — Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026

The show featured cameos from the likes of Cardi B, Pedro Pascal and Karol G, performances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, and hundreds of people disguised as grass. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 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