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.
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 Web
Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
While this violation enrages the village’s women, the men who make up the Panchayat (village council) try and fail to cast her out of town.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
The building was used to manufacture cast booster used in commercial mining, McCracken explained.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cast
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.
Verb
Later, Jacob Elordi was cast as the King of Rock 'n' Roll for Sofia Coppola's 2023 film Priscilla.
—Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
While this violation enrages the village’s women, the men who make up the Panchayat (village council) try and fail to cast her out of town.
—JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
Quan additionally recalled how the Inferno ship was kept secret from the cast and that the door to the set was guarded by security so the actors couldn’t sneak in.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
The building was used to manufacture cast booster used in commercial mining, McCracken explained.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cast
Cite this Entry
“Cast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cast. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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
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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