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Cameo - 5 dictionary results

cam⋅e⋅o

  [kam-ee-oh]
Use Cameo in a Sentence
–noun, plural cam⋅e⋅os.
1. a technique of engraving upon a gem or other stone, as onyx, in such a way that an underlying stone of one color is exposed as a background for a low-relief design of another color.
2. a gem or other stone so engraved.
3. a literary sketch, small dramatic scene, or the like, that effectively presents or depicts its subject.
4. Also called cameo role. a minor part played by a prominent performer in a single scene of a motion picture or a television play.
Origin:
1375–1425; < It cam(m)eo < OF camaieu, of uncert. orig.; r. late ME camew, cameu < OF
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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cam·e·o   (kām'ē-ō')   


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n.   pl. cam·e·os
    1. A gem or shell carved in relief, especially one in which the raised design and the background consist of layers of contrasting colors.
    2. The technique of carving in this way.
    3. A medallion with a profile cut in raised relief.
  2. A brief vivid portrayal or depiction: a literary cameo.
  3. A brief appearance of a prominent actor, as in a single scene of a motion picture. Also called cameo role.
v.   cam·e·oed, cam·e·o·ing, cam·e·os

v.   tr.
  1. To make into or like a gem or shell carved in relief.
  2. To portray in sharp, delicate relief, as in a literary composition.
v.   intr.
To make a brief appearance, as in a film: She cameoed as Anne Boleyn in A Man for All Seasons.

[Italian cameo and Middle English cameu (from Old French camaieu and Medieval Latin camahūtus).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cameo

Cam"e*o\, n.; pl. Cameos. [It cammeo; akin to F. cam['e]e, cama["i]eu, Sp. camafeo, LL. camaeus, camahutus; of unknown origin.] A carving in relief, esp. one on a small scale used as a jewel for personal adornment, or like.

Note: Most cameos are carved in a material which has layers of different colors, such stones as the onyx and sardonyx, and various kinds of shells, being used.

Cameo conch (Zo["o]l.), a large, marine, univalve shell, esp. Cassis cameo, C. rua, and allied species, used for cutting cameos. See Quern conch.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Cameo
Spanish: camafeo,
German: die Kamera,
Japanese: カメオ
More Translations »

cameo 
1222, "carved precious stone with two layers of colors," from It. cammeo (13c.), from M.L. cammæus, perhaps ult. from Arabic qamaa'il "flower buds," or Pers. chumahan "agate." Transferred sense of "small character or part that stands out from other minor parts" in a play, etc., is from 1851.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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CAMEO
computer-aided management of emergency operations
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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