cameo

Borrowed from Italian cammeo. 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.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkæm.iː.əu/

cameo (plural cameos or cameoes)

1. A piece of jewelry, etc., carved in relief.
2. 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.

   • 1922, Michael Arlen, “Ep./4/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:

     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.

cameo (third-person singular simple present cameos, present participle cameoing, simple past and past participle cameoed)

1. To appear in a cameo role.

• Meaco, comae

Borrowed from English cameo.

• IPA^(key): /kaˈmɛ.o/

cameo m (plural camei)

1. cameo (short appearance)

Borrowed from English cameo.

• IPA^(key): /kaˈmeo/

cameo m (plural cameos)

1. cameo (short appearance)