# cameo

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkæm.iː.əʊ/ · frequency rank #15,358

## Definitions
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.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Italian cammeo, from Medieval Latin camaeus, of unknown origin. 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. Doublet of camaieu.

## Easily confused with
- **CEO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-ceo)
- **Cao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-cao)
- **CME** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-cme)
- **come** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-come)
- **care** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-care)
- **case** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-case)
- **camp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-camp)
- **cape** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-cape)
- **cave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-cave)
- **cane** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-cane)
- **Como** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-como)
- **camo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-camo)
- **cate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-cate)
- **Cato** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-cato)
- **Cleo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-cleo)
- **Caro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-caro)
- **capo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-capo)
- **cami** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-cami)
- **comes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-comes)
- **cases** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cameo-vs-cases)

## Common misspellings (6)
`acmeo`, `caemo`, `cammeo`, `camoe`, `ccameo`, `cmaeo`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cameo