— castable , adj. — castability , n.
/kast, kahst/ , v. , cast, casting , n. , adj.
v.t.
1. to throw or hurl; fling: The gambler cast the dice.
2. to throw off or away: He cast the advertisement in the wastebasket.
3. to direct (the eye, a glance, etc.), esp. in a cursory manner: She cast her eyes down the page.
4. to cause to fall upon something or in a certain direction; send forth: to cast a soft light; to cast a spell; to cast doubts.
5. to draw (lots), as in telling fortunes.
6. Angling.
a. to throw out (a fishing line, net, bait, etc.): The fisherman cast his line.
b. to fish in (a stream, an area, etc.): He has often cast this brook.
7. to throw down or bring to the ground: She cast herself on the sofa.
8. to part with; lose: The horse cast a shoe.
9. to shed or drop (hair, fruit, etc.): The snake cast its skin.
10. (of an animal) to bring forth (young), esp. abortively.
11. to send off (a swarm), as bees do.
12. to throw or set aside; discard or reject; dismiss: He cast the problem from his mind.
13. to throw forth, as from within; emit or eject; vomit.
14. to throw up (earth, sod, etc.), as with a shovel.
15. to put or place, esp. hastily or forcibly: to cast someone in prison.
16. to deposit or give (a ballot or vote).
17. to bestow; confer: to cast blessings upon someone.
18. to make suitable or accordant; tailor: He cast his remarks to fit the occasion.
19. Theat.
a. to select actors for (a play, motion picture, or the like).
b. to allot a role to (an actor).
c. to assign an actor to (a role).
20. to form (an object) by pouring metal, plaster, etc., in a fluid state into a mold and letting it harden.
21. to form (metal, plaster, etc.) into a particular shape by pouring it into a mold in a fluid state and letting it harden.
22. to tap (a blast furnace).
23. to compute or calculate; add, as a column of figures.
24. to compute or calculate (a horoscope) astrologically; forecast.
25. to turn or twist; warp.
26. Naut. to turn the head of (a vessel), esp. away from the wind in getting under way.
27. Fox Hunting. (of a hunter) to lead or direct (hounds) over ground believed to have been recently traveled by a fox.
28. Archaic. to contrive, devise, or plan.
29. Obs. to ponder.
v.i.
30. to throw.
31. to receive form in a mold.
32. to calculate or add.
33. to conjecture; forecast.
34. (of hounds) to search an area for scent: The setter cast, but found no scent.
35. to warp, as timber.
36. Naut. (of a vessel) to turn, esp. to get the head away from the wind; tack.
37. to select the actors for a play, motion picture, or the like.
38. Obs.
a. to consider.
b. to plan or scheme.
39. cast about ,
a. to look, as to find something; search; seek: We cast about for something to do during the approaching summer vacation.
b. to scheme; plan: He cast about how he could avoid work.
40. cast away ,
a. Also, cast aside . to reject; discard.
b. to shipwreck.
c. to throw away; squander: He will cast away this money just as he has done in the past.
41. cast back , to refer to something past; revert to: The composer casts back to his earlier work.
42. cast down , to lower; humble.
43. cast off ,
a. to discard; reject.
b. to let go or let loose, as a vessel from a mooring.
c. Print. to determine the quantity of type or space that a given amount of text will occupy when set.
d. Textiles. to make (the final stitches) in completing a knitted fabric.
e. to throw (a falcon) off from the fist to pursue game.
44. cast on , Textiles. to set (yarn) on a needle in order to form the initial stitches in knitting.
45. cast out , to force out; expel; eject.
46. cast up ,
a. to add up; compute.
b. to vomit; eject.
c. Chiefly Scot. to turn up; appear.
n.
47. act of casting or throwing.
48. that which is thrown.
49. the distance to which a thing may be cast or thrown.
50. Games.
a. a throw of dice.
b. the number rolled.
51. Angling.
a. act of throwing a line or net onto the water.
b. a spot for casting; a fishing place.
52. Theat. the group of performers to whom parts are assigned; players.
53. Hunting. a searching of an area for a scent by hounds.
54. a stroke of fortune; fortune or lot.
55. a ride offered on one's way; lift.
56. the form in which something is made or written; arrangement.
57. Metall.
a. act of casting or founding.
b. the quantity of metal cast at one time.
58. something formed from a material poured into a mold in a molten or liquid state; casting.
59. an impression or mold made from something.
60. Med. a rigid surgical dressing, usually made of bandage treated with plaster of Paris.
61. outward form; appearance.
62. sort; kind; style.
63. tendency; inclination.
64. a permanent twist or turn: to have a cast in one's eye.
65. a warp.
66. a slight tinge of some color; hue; shade: A good diamond does not have a yellowish cast.
67. a dash or trace; a small amount.
68. computation; calculation; addition.
69. a conjecture; forecast.
70. Zool. something that is shed, ejected, or cast off or out, as molted skin, a feather, food from a bird's crop, or the coil of sand and waste passed by certain earthworms.
71. Ornith. pellet (def. 6).
72. Falconry. a pair of hawks put in flight together.
73. Pathol. effused plastic matter produced in the hollow parts of various diseased organs.
74. low-grade, irregular wool.
75. at a single cast , through a single action or event: He bankrupted himself at a single cast.
adj.
76. (of an animal, esp. a horse) lying in such a position that it is unable to return to its feet without assistance.
[ 1175-1225; ME casten kasta to throw ]
Syn. 1. See throw. 63. See turn .