CAMEO


Meaning of CAMEO in English

I. ˈkamēˌō noun

( -s )

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Italian cammeo, cameo; akin to Middle French camaïeu, Medieval Latin camahutus, camaeus

1.

a. : a gem carved in relief ; especially : a small piece of sculpture on a stone (as onyx or sardonyx) or on a shell having layers of different colors, the figure being cut in relief in one layer and another serving as background — compare intaglio

b. : a small medallion usually simulating stone or shell with a profiled head in relief

2. : a carving or sculpture made in the manner of a cameo

3. : any of several colors varying in hue from purplish red to bluish green, in chroma from low to moderate, and in lightness from medium to very high — see cameo blue , cameo brown , cameo green , cameo pink , cameo yellow

4. : a usually brief literary or dramatic piece that brings into delicate or sharp relief the character of a person, place, or event

his cameos and short commentaries on men and manners — R.T.Dunlop

II. transitive verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

1. : to make into or as if into a cameo

polished basalt cameoed upon malachite — Amy Lowell

2. : to treat in cameo form

the North American College … has never been properly cameoed for history — J.P.Boland

III. noun

: a brief dramatic role performed by a well-known actor or actress and often limited to a single scene ; broadly : a brief appearance

hit four home runs in a late September cameo in the majors

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.