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
He was joined on stage by his wife, Alexis Roderick, and introduced two young daughters, Della and Remy, who improvised dance routines throughout the crowd-rousing 12-minute cameo.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
Victoria appeared alongside her father in several of his films, including a cameo in Men in Black II and appeared in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, which Jones directed.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 2 Jan. 2026
Bonus points for Brian Cox’s return as host (and other Bond alum cameos).
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026
His yards-per-carry average has jumped each December with the 49ers – to 5.3 yards in December 2022, 6.6 in 2023, 6.0 last season in his Buffalo cameo, and 5.0 this season.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cameo
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Chris Willman, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026
Victoria appeared alongside her father in several of his films, including a cameo in Men in Black II and appeared in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, which Jones directed.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 2 Jan. 2026
Bonus points for Brian Cox’s return as host (and other Bond alum cameos).
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026
His yards-per-carry average has jumped each December with the 49ers – to 5.3 yards in December 2022, 6.6 in 2023, 6.0 last season in his Buffalo cameo, and 5.0 this season.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cameo
Cite this Entry
“Cameo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cameo. Accessed 6 Jan. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share