cameo
noun
- brief appearance by a famous performer
- small relief carving
verb
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L22034 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈkæm.iː.əʊ/ / /ˈkæm.i.oʊ/
noun
Etymology: Borrowed from Italian cammeo, from Medieval Latin camaeus, of unknown origin. The movie sense is short for “cameo role” referring to a famous person who was playing no character, but him or herself. Like a cameo brooch — a low-relief carving of a person’s head or bust — the actor or celebrity is instantly recognizable. More recently, it has come to refer to any short appearances, whether as a character or as oneself. Doublet of camaieu.
- A piece of jewelry, etc., carved in relief.
“Aarfy's buxom trollop had vanished with her smutty cameo ring, and Nurse Duckett was ashamed of him because he had refused to fly more combat missions and would cause a scandal.”
- A single very brief appearance, especially by a prominent celebrity in a movie or song.
“Famous comic book writer Stan Lee had a cameo in the Spider-Man movie. He was on screen for perhaps ten seconds, but aficionados distinctly remember him.”
“As they turned into Hertford Street they startled a robin from the poet's head on a barren fountain, and he fled away with a cameo note.”
verb
Etymology: Borrowed from Italian cammeo, from Medieval Latin camaeus, of unknown origin. The movie sense is short for “cameo role” referring to a famous person who was playing no character, but him or herself. Like a cameo brooch — a low-relief carving of a person’s head or bust — the actor or celebrity is instantly recognizable. More recently, it has come to refer to any short appearances, whether as a character or as oneself. Doublet of camaieu.
- To appear in a cameo role.