plural cameos
1
a
: a gem carved in relief (see relief entry 1 sense 6)
especially
: a small piece of sculpture on a stone or shell cut in relief in one layer with another contrasting layer serving as background
b
: a small medallion (see medallion sense 2) with a profiled head in relief
2
: a carving or sculpture made in the manner of a cameo
3
: a usually brief literary or filmic 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
R. T. Dunlop4
: a small theatrical role usually performed by a well-known actor and often limited to a single scene
A major star appears in a cameo in the movie.
broadly
: a brief appearance or role
cameo
adjective
cameo
verb, transitive + intransitive
Examples of cameo in a Sentence
He has a brief cameo in the film.
Recent Examples on the Web
Neither did some of the major celebrity cameos, which brought big beauty moments from Cardi B, Jessica Alba, Lady Gaga and more.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
The context of this cameo being a more open game where Gyokeres could play off fellow attackers was almost tailor-made for him.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Last month, Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, made a surprise royal cameo at Sundance Film Festival in Utah.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026
The film, helmed by Fischbach in his directorial debut, is based on the submarine simulation horror game of the same name that was developed and published by David Szymanski, who helped with the film’s screenplay and makes a cameo.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cameo
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Marci Robin, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
The context of this cameo being a more open game where Gyokeres could play off fellow attackers was almost tailor-made for him.
—Art De Roché, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Last month, Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, made a surprise royal cameo at Sundance Film Festival in Utah.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026
The film, helmed by Fischbach in his directorial debut, is based on the submarine simulation horror game of the same name that was developed and published by David Szymanski, who helped with the film’s screenplay and makes a cameo.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cameo
Cite this Entry
“Cameo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cameo. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cameo
noun
cam·eo
ˈkam-ē-ˌō 
plural cameos
1
: a carved gem in which the design is higher than its background
2
: a small role (as in a movie) performed by a well-known actor
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