cameo

See also: caméo

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkæm.iː.əu/

Noun

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.

Translations

relief work

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 带浮雕的珠宝

• Dutch: camee (nl) f
• Estonian: kamee (et)
• Finnish: kamee (fi), kameekoru
• French: camaïeu (fr) m
• German: Camée f, Kamee (de) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: cammeo (it) m
• Polish: kamea (pl) f
• Portuguese: camafeu (pt) m
• Russian: камея (ru) f (kameja)
• Spanish: camafeo (es) m,
• Swedish: kamé (sv) c
• Turkish: işlemeli akik

brief appearance

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 客串出演

• Finnish: cameorooli
• French: caméo (fr) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• German: Kurzauftritt m, Cameo-Auftritt m
• Italian: cammeo (it) m
• Russian: камео (ru) n (kameo)
• Spanish: cameo (es) m

Verb

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

1. To appear in a cameo role.

Anagrams

• Meaco, comae

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Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English cameo, from Italian cammeo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈmɛ.o/

Noun

cameo m (plural camei)

1. cameo (short appearance)

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Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English cameo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈmeo/ [kaˈme.o]

Noun

cameo m (plural cameos)

1. cameo (short appearance)