Link Centre Dictionary

cameo

ca·meo

UK/ˈkæm.iː.əʊ/ US/ˈkæm.i.oʊ/ uncommon

noun

1.

engraving or carving in low relief on a stone (as in a brooch or ring)

Origin

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.

Phrases

  • cameo conch
  • cameo lighting
  • cameo ware

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.