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

Directed by Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam, Time Bandits includes cameos from fellow Pythons John Cleese and Michael Palin, as well as Sean Connery as King Agamemnon. —Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026

Derry was making a good impression at Chelsea before his lively cameo against Hull City. —Simon Johnson, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026

On Thursday, the 22-year-old made a cameo in Hudson's latest Instagram carousel. —Hannah Malach, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026

Most recently seen starring in James Gunn’s HBO Max series Peacemaker, and making a memorable cameo as himself in Apple TV’s Pluribus, Cena returns to Netflix after shooting a starring role opposite Eric André in their comedy Little Brother expected to release this year. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 Feb. 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