cast

1 of 2

verb

ˈkast 

cast; casting

transitive verb

1

a

: to cause to move or send forth by throwing

cast a fishing lure

cast dice

b

: direct

cast a glance

c(1)

: to put forth

the fire casts a warm glow

cast light on the subject

cast a shadow

(2)

: to place as if by throwing

cast doubt on their reliability

d

: to deposit (a ballot) formally

cast her vote

e(1)

: to throw off or away

the horse cast a shoe

(2)

: to get rid of : discard

cast off all restraint

soda cans and fast-food boxes cast aside on the beach

(3)

: shed, molt

cast feathers

(4)

: to bring forth

especially : to give birth to prematurely

f

: to throw to the ground especially in wrestling

The cow was cast and her legs tied.

g

: to build by throwing up earth

cast a mound

2

a(1)

: to perform arithmetical operations on : add

(2)

: to calculate by means of astrology

cast a person's horoscope

b

archaic : decide, intend

3

a

: to dispose or arrange into parts or into a suitable form or order

I shall cast what I have to say under two principal heads

—Tatler

b(1)

: to assign the parts of (a dramatic production) to actors

cast a movie

(2)

: to assign (someone, such as an actor) to a role or part

was cast in the leading role

4

a

: to give a shape to (a substance) by pouring in liquid or plastic form into a mold and letting harden without pressure

cast steel

b

: to form by this process

toys cast from plastic

5

: turn

cast the scale slightly

6

: to make (a knot or stitch) by looping or catching up

cast a square knot

7

: twist, warp

a beam cast by age

8

: to transmit the sound and images of (something happening) in real time via the Internet

The event is cast live over the Internet and broadcast later on National Public Radio's "Science Friday."

—Lynn Teo Simarski

The webinar will be cast live over Skype on a large screen at the church.

—Cheril Vernon

intransitive verb

1

: to throw something

specifically : to throw out a lure with a fishing rod

2

dialectal British : vomit

3

dialectal, England : to bear fruit : yield

4

a

: to perform addition

b

obsolete : estimate, conjecture

5

: warp

lumber casts

6

: to range over land in search of a trail

—used of hunting dogs or trackers

7

: veer

castability

ˌka-stə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

castable

ˈka-stə-bəl 

adjective

cast

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: an act of casting

b

: something that happens as a result of chance

c

: a throw of dice

a seven on the first cast

d

: a throw of a line (such as a fishing line) or net

a perfect cast

2

a

: the form in which a thing is constructed

b(1)

: the set of actors in a dramatic production

The show features an all-star cast.

(2)

: a set of characters or persons

in both great houses there is the usual cast of servants

—Elizabeth Bowen

c

: the arrangement of draperies in a painting

3

: the distance to which a thing can be thrown

specifically : the distance a bow can shoot

4

a

: a turning of the eye in a particular direction

also : expression

this freakish, elfish cast came into the child's eye

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

b

: a slight strabismus

5

: something that is thrown or the quantity thrown

especially, British : the leader of a fishing line

6

a

: something that is formed by casting in a mold or form: such as

(1)

: a reproduction (as of a statue) in metal or plaster : casting

(2)

: a fossil reproduction of the details of a natural object by mineral infiltration

b

: an impression taken from an object with a liquid or plastic substance : mold

They made a mask from a wax cast of her face.

c

: a rigid casing (as of fiberglass or of gauze impregnated with plaster of paris) used for immobilizing a usually diseased or broken part

has a cast on her broken arm

7

: forecast, conjecture

8

a

: an overspread of a color or modification of the appearance of a substance by a trace of some added hue : shade

gray with a greenish cast

b

: tinge, suggestion

a cast of bitterness in his words

—Walter O'Meara

9

a

: a ride on one's way in a vehicle : lift

A motorist gave him a cast as far as the town.

b

Scotland : help, assistance

10

a

: shape, appearance

the delicate cast of her features

b

: characteristic quality

his father's conservative cast of mind

11

: something that is shed, ejected, or thrown out or off: such as

a

: the excrement of an earthworm

b

: a mass of soft matter formed in cavities of diseased organs and discharged from the body

c

: the skin of an insect

12

: the ranging in search of a trail by a dog, hunting pack, or tracker

The setter made a wide cast.

Phrases

cast lots

: to draw lots to determine a matter by chance

Synonyms

Verb

• discharge
• emanate
• emit
• evolve
• exhale
• expel
• expire [archaic]
• give out
• irradiate
• issue
• radiate
• release
• send (out)
• shoot
• throw out
• vent

Noun

• auguring
• augury
• bodement
• forecast
• forecasting
• foretelling
• predicting
• prediction
• presaging
• prognosis
• prognostic
• prognosticating
• prognostication
• prophecy
• prophesy
• soothsaying
• vaticination

Choose the Right Synonym for cast

discard, cast, shed, slough, scrap, junk mean to get rid of.

discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit

finally sloughed off the depression

scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways

would junk our educational system

throw, cast, toss, fling, hurl, pitch, sling mean to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force.

throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm.

can throw a fastball and a curve

cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering.

cast it to the winds

toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion.

tossed the coat on the bed

fling stresses a violent throwing.

flung the ring back in his face

hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight.

hurled himself at the intruder

pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target.

pitch horseshoes

sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim.

slung the bag over his shoulder

Examples of cast in a Sentence

Verb

Seaweed was cast up by the waves.

The tree cast a long shadow on the lawn.

How many votes were cast?

Noun

She has a cast on her arm.

They made a mask from a wax cast of her face.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Clearly, Pantoliano was cast in this role before casting directors discovered his evil aura. —Carrie Wittmer, Vulture, 19 May 2025

By contrast, the March release of Snow White, with Rachel Zegler, a Latina actress, in the lead, put Disney into a bit of a crisis mode amid a loud and emboldened right-wing casting backlash. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 18 May 2025

Noun

Scarlett Johansson monologue jokes about cast departure speculation Rumors ran wild heading into the finale about which cast members might not return for Season 51. —Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 19 May 2025

Notably, six cast members exited the series as regulars before the show headed into its seventh installment: Daniel Ezra, Samantha Logan, Cody Christian, Karimah Westbrook, Monét Mazur and Chelsea Tavares. —Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 19 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old Norse kasta; akin to Old Norse kǫs heap

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing cast

• an all-star cast
• cast about
• cast about/around for
• cast a (dark) cloud
• cast adrift
• cast and crew
• cast a pall on/over
• cast around
• cast aside
• cast aspersions
• cast aspersions on
• cast doubt on
• cast down
• (cast) in the same mold as
• cast iron
• cast of characters
• cast off
• cast of mind
• cast on
• cast one's ballot
• cast one's lot with
• cast out
• cast/run one's eye over
• cast/shed/throw light on
• cast/spread one's net wide
• cast their votes
• cast/throw doubt on
• cast/throw pearls before swine
• endocranial cast
• plaster cast
• sand-cast
• supporting cast
• the die is cast
• throw/fling/cast caution to the wind

Rhymes for cast

• bast
• blast
• caste
• classed
• clast
• fast
• gassed
• gast
• glassed
• grassed
• hast
• last

Kids Definition

cast

1 of 2 verb

ˈkast 

cast; casting

1

a

: throw entry 1 sense 1a, toss

cast a stone

b

: to throw a fishing line

c

: direct entry 1 sense 3

cast a glance

d

: to place as if by throwing

cast doubt on their honesty

e

: to deposit formally

cast a ballot

f

: to throw off, out, or away

the horse cast a shoe

a snake casts its skin

2

a

: compute sense 1

b

: to arrange into parts or into a proper form

cast the story in the form of a letter

3

: to assign parts to actors

cast a play

4

: to shape a substance by pouring it in liquid or very soft form into a mold and letting it harden without pressure

cast steel

cast machine parts

cast

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act of casting

2

a

: the form in which a thing is constructed

b

: the characters or the actors in a story or play

3

: the distance to which a thing can be thrown

4

a

: a glance of the eye

b

: appearance sense 1, look

5

a

: casting sense 2

b

: a rigid casing (as of gauze and plaster of paris) for immobilizing a body part

6

: forecast entry 2

7

: a tinge of color : shade

8

: one of the characteristics associated with a person or thing

the humorous cast of his stories

her strict cast of mind

9

: something thrown out or off or shed

Medical Definition

cast

1 of 2 transitive verb

ˈkast 

cast; casting

1

: to give a shape to (a substance) by pouring in liquid or plastic form into a mold and letting harden without pressure

2

: to form by casting

cast

2 of 2 noun

1

: a slight strabismus

2

a

: something that is formed by casting in a mold or form

especially : an impression taken from an object by using a liquid or plastic substance

b

: a rigid casing (as of fiberglass or of gauze impregnated with plaster of paris) used for immobilizing a usually diseased or broken part

3

: a mass of plastic matter formed in cavities of diseased organs (as the kidneys) and discharged from the body