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