cameo

noun

cam·​eo ˈka-mē-ˌō How to pronounce cameo (audio)
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 mannersR. 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 Gordon had a small but moving cameo as a caring record company exec visiting the despairing rocker named Blake and urging him to leave with her. Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024 Their son, Max, made a cameo in Iron Man 2 as the little boy retroactively revealed to be a young Peter Parker. Andrew Walsh, EW.com, 24 Mar. 2024 The pair also united for a cameo on NBC's Quantum Leap reboot in 2022. Emy Lacroix, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2024 For the inevitable true-crime-doc cameo, wear whatever outfit smugly conveys that prying pays off. Jen Spyra, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024 Analysis: Brock Purdy’s successful comeback from elbow surgery kept Darnold on the sideline, aside from cameos due to Purdy’s shoulder stingers in December games, as well as the Week 18 start against the Rams. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 Along with returning to host numerous times, she’s made several cameos over the years, including just this past December for a holiday reunion with Kate McKinnon and Maya Rudolph. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 More recently, the 80-year-old actress has a scene-stealing cameo in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar-winner Poor Things as Martha von Kurtzroc, the eccentric woman Emma Stone’s character befriends on the cruise ship. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 The magical musical numbers, previous Oscar-winner cameos, tear-inducing speeches and comical award presentations helped the three-and-a-half-hour-long show’s pacing move along quite nicely. Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cameo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English camew, from Middle French camau, kamaheu

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cameo was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near cameo

Cite this Entry

“Cameo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cameo. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cameo

noun
cam·​eo ˈkam-ē-ˌō How to pronounce cameo (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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