First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
1cast
verb \ˈkast\
: to throw or move (something) in a forceful way
: to throw (a fishing line, hook, etc.) into the water by using a fishing pole
: to send or direct (something) in the direction of someone or something
castcast·ing
Full Definition of CAST
transitive verb
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> (2) : to place as if by throwing <cast doubt on their reliability> d : to deposit (a ballot) formally e (1) : to throw off or away <the horse cast a shoe> (2) : to get rid of : discard <cast off all restraint> (3) : shed, molt (4) : to bring forth; especially : to give birth to prematurely f : to throw to the ground especially in wrestling g : to build by throwing up earth
2
3
a : to dispose or arrange into parts or into a suitable form or order b (1) : to assign the parts of (a dramatic production) to actors <cast a movie> (2) : to assign (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
5
: turn <cast the scale slightly>
6
: to make (a knot or stitch) by looping or catching up
intransitive verb
1
: to throw something; specifically : to throw out a lure with a fishing rod
2
dial British : vomit
3
dial English : to bear fruit : yield
4
a : to perform addition b obsolete : estimate, conjecture
5
: warp
6
: to range over land in search of a trail —used of hunting dogs or trackers
7
: veer
— cast·abil·i·ty \ˌkas-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun
— cast·able \ˈkas-tə-bəl\ adjective
— cast lots
: to draw lots to determine a matter by chance
See cast defined for English-language learners
See cast defined for kids
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Origin of CAST
Middle English, from Old Norse kasta; akin to Old Norse kǫs heap
Related to CAST
Synonym Discussion of CAST
discard, cast, shed, slough, scrap, junk mean to get rid of. discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless <discard old clothes>. cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation <cast off her friends>. shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster <shed a bad habit> <finally sloughed off the depression>. scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form <scrap all the old ways> <would junk our educational system>.
throw, cast, toss, fling, hurl, pitch, sling mean to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force. throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm <can throw a fastball and a curve>. cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering <cast it to the winds>. toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion <tossed the coat on the bed>. fling stresses a violent throwing <flung the ring back in his face>. hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight <hurled himself at the intruder>. pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target <pitch horseshoes>. sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim <slung the bag over his shoulder>.
throw, cast, toss, fling, hurl, pitch, sling mean to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force. throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm <can throw a fastball and a curve>. cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering <cast it to the winds>. toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion <tossed the coat on the bed>. fling stresses a violent throwing <flung the ring back in his face>. hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight <hurled himself at the intruder>. pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target <pitch horseshoes>. sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim <slung the bag over his shoulder>.
2cast
noun
: the actors in a play, film, or television show
: a hard covering that is put on an arm, leg, etc., so that a broken bone can heal
: a container that is used to give its form or shape to something that is poured or pressed into it; also : an object that is made by using such a container
Full Definition of CAST
1
a : an act of casting b : something that happens as a result of chance c : a throw of dice d : a throw of a line (as a fishing line) or net
2
a : the form in which a thing is constructed b (1) : the set of actors in a dramatic production (2) : a set of characters or persons <in both great houses there is the usual cast of servants — 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; also : expression <this freakish, elfish cast came into the child's eye — Nathaniel Hawthorne> b : a slight strabismus
5
: something that is thrown or the quantity thrown; especially British : the leader of a fishing line
6
a : something that is formed by casting in a mold or form: as (1) : a reproduction (as of a statue) in metal or plaster : casting (2) : a fossil reproduction of the details of a natural object by mineral infiltration b : an impression taken from an object with a liquid or plastic substance : mold c : a rigid casing (as of fiberglass or of gauze impregnated with plaster of paris) used for immobilizing a usually diseased or broken part
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
9
a : a ride on one's way in a vehicle : lift b Scottish : 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: 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
See cast defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of CAST
14th century
Related to CAST
- Synonyms
- auguring, augury, bodement, prediction, forecast, forecasting, foretelling, predicting, presaging, prognosis, prognostic, prognosticating, prognostication, prophecy (also prophesy), soothsaying, vaticination
Other Performing Arts Terms
CASTS Defined for Kids
1cast
verb \ˈkast\
castcast·ing
Definition of CAST for Kids
1
: 1throw 1 <cast a stone> <cast a fishing line>
2
: to direct to or toward something or someone <cast a glance>
3
: to send out or forward <cast a shadow> <cast light>
4
: to put under the influence of <cast a spell> <The news cast gloom over the party.>
5
: to throw out, off, or away : shed <Snakes cast their skins.>
6
: to make (a vote) formally
7
: to assign a part or role to <I was cast as the hero in the play.>
8
: to give shape to liquid material by pouring it into a mold and letting it harden <The statue was cast in bronze.>
2cast
noun
Definition of CAST for Kids
1
: an act of throwing <He caught a fish on his first cast.>
2
: the characters or the people acting in a play or story
3
: a stiff dressing (as of plaster) hardened around a part of the body to allow a broken bone to heal <I had a cast on my leg.>
4
: a hint of color <a bluish cast>
5
: the container used to give a shape to the thing made in it
6
: something formed by casting in a mold or form <a bronze cast of a statue>
7
: the distance to which a thing can be thrown
8
: 2shape 1 <His face has a rugged cast.>
9
: something (as the skin of an insect or the waste of an earthworm) that is shed or thrown out or off
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