cast; casting
1
a
: to cause to move or send forth by throwing
cast a fishing lure
cast dice
b
: direct
cast a glance
c(1)
: to put forth
the fire casts a warm glow
cast light on the subject
cast a shadow
(2)
: to place as if by throwing
cast doubt on their reliability
d
: to deposit (a ballot) formally
cast her vote
f
: to throw to the ground especially in wrestling
The cow was cast and her legs tied.
g
: to build by throwing up earth
cast a mound
2
3
a
: to dispose or arrange into parts or into a suitable form or order
I shall cast what I have to say under two principal heads—
Tatler
Tatler
b(1)
: to assign the parts of (a dramatic production) to actors
cast a movie
(2)
: to assign (someone, such as an actor) to a role or part
was cast in the leading role
4
a
: to give a shape to (a substance) by pouring in liquid or plastic form into a mold and letting harden without pressure
cast steel
b
: to form by this process
toys cast from plastic
5
: turn
cast the scale slightly
6
: to make (a knot or stitch) by looping or catching up
cast a square knot
8
: to transmit the sound and images of (something happening) in real time via the Internet
The event is cast live over the Internet and broadcast later on National Public Radio's "Science Friday."—Lynn Teo Simarski
Lynn Teo SimarskiThe webinar will be cast live over Skype on a large screen at the church.—Cheril Vernon
Cheril Vernon1
: to throw something
specifically
: to throw out a lure with a fishing rod
2
dialectal British
: vomit
3
dialectal, England
: to bear fruit : yield
4
a
: to perform addition
b
obsolete
: estimate, conjecture
5
: warp
lumber casts
6
: to range over land in search of a trail
—used of hunting dogs or trackers
7
: veer
1
a
: an act of casting
b
: something that happens as a result of chance
c
: a throw of dice
a seven on the first cast
d
: a throw of a line (such as a fishing line) or net
a perfect cast
2
a
: the form in which a thing is constructed
b(1)
: the set of actors in a dramatic production
The show features an all-star cast.
(2)
: a set of characters or persons
in both great houses there is the usual cast of servants—Elizabeth Bowen
Elizabeth Bowen
c
: the arrangement of draperies in a painting
3
: the distance to which a thing can be thrown
specifically
: the distance a bow can shoot
4
a
: a turning of the eye in a particular direction
b
: a slight strabismus
5
: something that is thrown or the quantity thrown
especially, British
: the leader of a fishing line
6
b
: an impression taken from an object with a liquid or plastic substance : mold
They made a mask from a wax cast of her face.
c
: a rigid casing (as of fiberglass or of gauze impregnated with plaster of paris) used for immobilizing a usually diseased or broken part
has a cast on her broken arm
7
8
a
: an overspread of a color or modification of the appearance of a substance by a trace of some added hue : shade
gray with a greenish cast
b
: tinge, suggestion
a cast of bitterness in his words—Walter O'Meara
Walter O'Meara9
a
: a ride on one's way in a vehicle : lift
A motorist gave him a cast as far as the town.
b
Scotland
: help, assistance
10
a
: shape, appearance
the delicate cast of her features
b
: characteristic quality
his father's conservative cast of mind
11
: something that is shed, ejected, or thrown out or off: such as
a
: the excrement of an earthworm
b
: a mass of soft matter formed in cavities of diseased organs and discharged from the body
c
: the skin of an insect
12
: the ranging in search of a trail by a dog, hunting pack, or tracker
The setter made a wide cast.
Synonyms
Examples of cast in a Sentence
Verb
Seaweed was cast up by the waves.
The tree cast a long shadow on the lawn.
How many votes were cast?
Noun
She has a cast on her arm.
They made a mask from a wax cast of her face.
Recent Examples on the WebDavid Harsanyi, National Review, 18 Apr. 2024
Other cast members include Johansson as Elita, Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee, Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime and Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
In one study from the Brennan Center on the 2016 election, researchers found that non-citizens were suspected (not even confirmed) to have voted in just 0.0001 percent of the 23.5 million votes cast.
—David Gilbert, WIRED, 18 Apr. 2024
The Emmy-winning actress has been portraying Benson since 1999, when she was cast to lead the Law & Order spinoff that would eventually become the longest-running drama in prime-time American television.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
Buttigieg, a Democrat, repeatedly cast the agreement as bipartisan, but only two of the state officials who signed on are Republicans.
—David Koenig, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
Normalization serves an important purpose: to destigmatize and educate, to extract truth from the shadows and cast it in the light.
—Maytal Eyal and Bridget Freihart, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Costar Pierce Brosnan for First Time: ‘Be Still, Beating Heart’ (Exclusive)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has emerged as a favorite of Bond casting rumors in recent months.
—Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
And it’s cast with actors who can create whole characters from dialogue that is 90% exposition, supplemented with smidgens of domestic detail, as when Alan assembles a picnic table or Lee’s daughter can’t find her sneakers.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Adam B. Vary, Variety, 21 Apr. 2024
In 2000, after the U.S. Supreme Court intervened, the infamous presidential recount debacle in Florida ended with George W. Bush beating Al Gore by 537 votes out of almost 6 million cast, a margin of 0.009%.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
Editors’ Picks That Malone is played by a woman — there are no men in the cast or the orchestra — is perhaps no more problematic than the fact that, for plot purposes, the character has been promoted from Third Assistant Secretary of State, Malone’s actual position.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
This played out in Illmatic’s production style, featuring an ensemble cast of producers that created an expansive yet cohesive soundscape.
—C. Brandon Ogbunu, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024
And with Season Eight, West Wilson has joined their ranks — a near-instant hit with the cast and fans alike.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024
During a panel discussion with the cast, host Ben Mankiewicz took a moment to celebrate Bruce, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, and his family.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
The album, which features original cast members Will Brill, Andrew R. Butler, Juliana Canfield, Eli Gelb, Tom Pecinka, Sarah Pidgeon, and Chris Stack, will be available on digital platforms on May 10, with a physical CD release set for June 14.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 19 Apr. 2024
The commission said the projects will spend about $1.1 billion in the state during this upcoming season and will employ 2,300 crew, 2,200 cast members, and 50,000 background performers, measured in the number of days worked.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Verb
From April 19 to June 1, roughly a billion voters speaking 22 officially recognized languages and dozens of others will cast ballots in 28 states and eight federal territories to decide the next leadership of India.
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 18 Apr. 2024
Other cast members include Johansson as Elita, Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee, Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime and Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
In one study from the Brennan Center on the 2016 election, researchers found that non-citizens were suspected (not even confirmed) to have voted in just 0.0001 percent of the 23.5 million votes cast.
—David Gilbert, WIRED, 18 Apr. 2024
The Emmy-winning actress has been portraying Benson since 1999, when she was cast to lead the Law & Order spinoff that would eventually become the longest-running drama in prime-time American television.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
Buttigieg, a Democrat, repeatedly cast the agreement as bipartisan, but only two of the state officials who signed on are Republicans.
—David Koenig, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
Normalization serves an important purpose: to destigmatize and educate, to extract truth from the shadows and cast it in the light.
—Maytal Eyal and Bridget Freihart, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Costar Pierce Brosnan for First Time: ‘Be Still, Beating Heart’ (Exclusive)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has emerged as a favorite of Bond casting rumors in recent months.
—Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
And it’s cast with actors who can create whole characters from dialogue that is 90% exposition, supplemented with smidgens of domestic detail, as when Alan assembles a picnic table or Lee’s daughter can’t find her sneakers.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Noun
The full statements from the cast and the filmmakers are below.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 21 Apr. 2024
In 2000, after the U.S. Supreme Court intervened, the infamous presidential recount debacle in Florida ended with George W. Bush beating Al Gore by 537 votes out of almost 6 million cast, a margin of 0.009%.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024
Editors’ Picks That Malone is played by a woman — there are no men in the cast or the orchestra — is perhaps no more problematic than the fact that, for plot purposes, the character has been promoted from Third Assistant Secretary of State, Malone’s actual position.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
This played out in Illmatic’s production style, featuring an ensemble cast of producers that created an expansive yet cohesive soundscape.
—C. Brandon Ogbunu, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024
And with Season Eight, West Wilson has joined their ranks — a near-instant hit with the cast and fans alike.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024
During a panel discussion with the cast, host Ben Mankiewicz took a moment to celebrate Bruce, who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023, and his family.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
The album, which features original cast members Will Brill, Andrew R. Butler, Juliana Canfield, Eli Gelb, Tom Pecinka, Sarah Pidgeon, and Chris Stack, will be available on digital platforms on May 10, with a physical CD release set for June 14.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 19 Apr. 2024
The commission said the projects will spend about $1.1 billion in the state during this upcoming season and will employ 2,300 crew, 2,200 cast members, and 50,000 background performers, measured in the number of days worked.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cast.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cast
Cite this Entry
“Cast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cast. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cast
1 of 2 verb
cast; casting
1
a
: throw entry 1 sense 1a, toss
cast a stone
b
: to throw a fishing line
c
: direct entry 1 sense 3
cast a glance
d
: to place as if by throwing
cast doubt on their honesty
e
: to deposit formally
cast a ballot
f
: to throw off, out, or away
the horse cast a shoe
a snake casts its skin
2
a
: compute
b
: to arrange into parts or into a proper form
cast the story in the form of a letter
3
: to assign parts to actors
cast a play
4
: to shape a substance by pouring it in liquid or very soft form into a mold and letting it harden without pressure
cast steel
cast machine parts
cast
2 of 2 noun1
: an act of casting
2
a
: the form in which a thing is constructed
b
: the characters or the actors in a story or play
3
: the distance to which a thing can be thrown
4
a
: a glance of the eye
b
5
a
b
: a rigid casing (as of gauze and plaster of paris) for immobilizing a body part
6
7
: a tinge of color : shade
8
: one of the characteristics associated with a person or thing
the humorous cast of his stories
her strict cast of mind
9
: something thrown out or off or shed
Medical Definition
cast
2 of 2 noun1
: a slight strabismus
2
a
: something that is formed by casting in a mold or form
especially
: an impression taken from an object by using a liquid or plastic substance
b
: a rigid casing (as of fiberglass or of gauze impregnated with plaster of paris) used for immobilizing a usually diseased or broken part
3
: a mass of plastic matter formed in cavities of diseased organs (as the kidneys) and discharged from the body
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