cast

English

 cast on Wikipedia

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *kas-
Proto-Germanic *kastōną
Old Norse kastabor.
Middle English casten
English cast
    Category:English terms derived from Old Norse#CASTCategory:English terms derived from Middle English#CASTCategory:English terms derived from Proto-Germanic#CASTCategory:English terms inherited from Middle English#CASTCategory:Pages with etymology trees#CASTCategory:English entries with etymology trees#CAST

    From Middle EnglishCategory:English terms inherited from Middle English#CASTCategory:English terms derived from Middle English#CAST casten, from Old NorseCategory:English terms derived from Old Norse#CAST kasta (“to throw, cast, overturn”), from Proto-GermanicCategory:English terms derived from Proto-Germanic#CAST *kastōną (“to throw, cast”), of unknown origin.

    Cognate with Scots cast (“to cast, throw”), Danish kaste (“to throw”), Swedish kasta (“to throw, cast, fling, toss, discard”), Icelandic kasta (“to pitch, toss”). In the sense of "flinging", displaced native warp.

    The senses relating to broadcasting are based on that same term; compare -cast.

    Pronunciation

    Verb

    cast (third-person singular simple present casts, present participle casting, simple past and past participle cast or (nonstandard) casted)Category:English lemmas#CASTCategory:English verbs#CASTCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CAST

    A child with cast legs after surgery (14).
    1. (physical) To move, or be moved, away.
      1. (now somewhat literaryCategory:English literary terms#CAST) To throw. [from 13th c.]
        Synonyms: fling, hurl; see also Thesaurus:throw
      2. To throw forward (a fishing line, net etc.) into the sea. [from 14th c.]
        Synonym: project
      3. To throw down or aside. [from 15th c.]
        Synonyms: cast down, throw down
      4. (of an animal) To throw off (the skin) as a process of growth; to shed the hair or fur of the coat. [from 15th c.]
        Synonym: slough
      5. (botanyCategory:en:Botany#CAST) To shed leaves or fruit prematurely.
      6. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#CAST except in set phrases) To remove, take off (clothes). [from 14th c.]
        Synonym: doff
      7. (nauticalCategory:en:Nautical#CAST) To heave the lead and line in order to ascertain the depth of water.
      8. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#CAST) To vomit.
        Synonyms: hurl; see also Thesaurus:regurgitate
      9. (archaicCategory:English terms with archaic senses#CAST) To throw up, as a mound, or rampart.
      10. (archaicCategory:English terms with archaic senses#CAST) To throw out or emit; to exhale.
    2. To direct (one's eyes, gaze etc.). [from 13th c.]
    3. (datedCategory:English dated terms#CAST outside accountingCategory:en:Accounting#CAST) To add up (a column of figures, accounts etc.); cross-cast refers to adding up a row of figures. [from 14th c.]
      Synonyms: sum, tally; see also Thesaurus:add up
    4. (social) To predict, to decide, to plan.
      1. (astrologyCategory:en:Astrology#CAST) To calculate the astrological value of (a horoscope, birth etc.). [from 14th c.]
        • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
          , vol.1, New York Review of Books, 2001, p.309:
          he is […] a perfect astrologer, that can cast the rise and fall of others, and mark their errant motions to his own use.
        • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 332:
          John Gadbury confessed that Mrs Cellier, ‘the Popish Midwife’, had asked him to cast the King's nativity, although the astrology claimed to have refused to do so.
          Category:English terms with quotations#CAST
          Category:Quotation templates to be cleaned
        • 1985, Lawrence Durrell, Quinx, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), p.1197:
          He did the washing up and stayed behind to watch the dinner cook while she hopped off with a friend to have her horoscope cast by another friend.
      2. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#CAST) To plan, intend. [14th–19th c.]
      3. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#CAST) To assign (a role in a play or performance). [from 18th c.]
        The director cast the part carefully.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
      4. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#CAST) To assign a role in a play or performance to (an actor).
        The director cast John Smith as King Lear.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
      5. (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#CAST) To describe in an opinionated way. Mostly used with a metaphor involving light.
        King John cast his predecessor in a negative light to deflect criticism of his own questionable decisions.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
      6. To consider; to turn or revolve in the mind; to plan.
      7. (archaicCategory:English terms with archaic senses#CAST) To impose; to bestow; to rest.
      8. (archaicCategory:English terms with archaic senses#CAST) To defeat in a lawsuit; to decide against; to convict.
      10. To turn (the balance or scale); to overbalance; hence, to make preponderate; to decide.
        Synonyms: decide, determine; see also Thesaurus:choose
        a casting voice
        Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
        • 24 July, 1659, Robert South, Interest Deposed, and Truth Restored
          How much interest casts the balance in cases dubious!
    5. To perform, bring forth (a magical spell or enchantment).
      • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 178:
        Sorcery is not the exclusive prerogative of the fetish-man, but is practised haphazardly by anyone who wishes to cast a spell upon another.
        Category:English terms with quotations#CAST
    6. To throw (light etc.) on or upon something, or in a given direction.
      Synonyms: pour, shed; see also Thesaurus:illuminate
    7. (archaicCategory:English terms with archaic senses#CAST) To give birth to (a child) prematurely; to miscarry. [from 15th c.]
    9. To shape (molten metal etc.) by pouring into a mould; to make (an object) in such a way. [from 15th c.]
      • 1923 March 24, “Rodin's Death”, in Time:
        One copy of the magnificent caveman, The Thinker, of which Rodin cast several examples in bronze, is seated now in front of the Detroit Museum of Art, where it was placed last autumn.
        Category:English terms with quotations#CAST
      • 1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 343:
        The practice of casting steel seems the most difficult of all the foundry arts, for despite every care, a percentage of the work is liable to be faulty and disappointing, but at Crewe, generally, a very good class of casting was turned out.
        Category:English terms with quotations#CAST
      1. (printingCategory:en:Printing#CAST, datedCategory:English dated terms#CAST) To stereotype or electrotype.
    10. To twist or warp (of fabric, timber etc.). [from 16th c.]
    11. (nauticalCategory:en:Nautical#CAST) To bring the bows of a sailing ship on to the required tack just as the anchor is weighed by use of the headsail; to bring (a ship) round. [from 18th c.]
    12. To deposit (a ballot or voting paper); to formally register (one's vote). [from 19th c.]
      Time to tell all the ballots cast by voters in the box.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
    13. (computingCategory:en:Computing#CAST) To change a variable type from, for example, integer to real, or integer to text. [from 20th c.]
      To display a number, you need to cast it to a string type.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
    14. (huntingCategory:en:Hunting#CAST) Of dogs, hunters: to spread out and search for a scent. [from 18th c.]
    15. (medicineCategory:en:Medicine#CAST) To set (a bone etc.) in a cast.
      (Can we add an example for this sense?)Category:Requests for example sentences in English#CAST
    16. (WiccaCategory:en:Wicca#CAST) To open a circle in order to begin a spell or meeting of witches.
    17. (mediaCategory:en:Media#CAST) To broadcast (video) over the Internet or a local network, especially to one's television.
      The streamer was the first to cast footage of the new game.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST

    Conjugation

    Derived terms

    Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

    Noun

    cast (plural casts)Category:English lemmas#CASTCategory:English nouns#CASTCategory:English countable nouns#CASTCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CAST

    1. An act of throwing.
    2. The number rolled on a die when it is thrown.
    3. (fishingCategory:en:Fishing#CAST) An instance of throwing out a fishing line.
    4. Something which has been thrown, dispersed etc.
    5. A small mass of earth "thrown off" or excreted by a worm.
      The area near the stream was covered with little bubbly worm casts.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
    6. (art) The collective group of actors performing a play or production together. Contrasted with crew.
      The cast was praised for a fine performance.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
    7. The casting procedure.
      The men got into position for the cast, two at the ladle, two with long rods, all with heavy clothing.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
    8. An object made in a mould.
      The cast would need a great deal of machining to become a recognizable finished part.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
    9. A supportive and immobilising device used to help mend broken bones.
      The doctor put a cast on the boy’s broken arm.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
    10. The mould used to make cast objects.
      A plaster cast was made from his face.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
    11. (hawking) The number of hawks (or occasionally other birds) cast off at one time; a pair.
    12. A squint.
      • 1847, John Churchill, A manual of the principles and practice of ophthalmic medicine and surgery, p. 389, paragraph 1968:
        The image of the affected eye is clearer and in consequence the diplopy more striking the less the cast of the eye; hence the double vision will be noticed by the patient before the misdirection of the eye attracts the attention of those about him.
      • 2011, Thomas Penn, Winter King, Penguin, published 2012, page 7:
        Arriving in Brittany, the Woodville exiles found a sallow young man, with dark hair curled in the shoulder-length fashion of the time and a penchant for expensively dyed black clothes, whose steady gaze was made more disconcerting by a cast in his left eye – such that while one eye looked at you, the other searched for you.
        Category:English terms with quotations#CAST
        Category:Quotation templates to be cleaned
    13. Visual appearance.
      Her features had a delicate cast to them.Category:English terms with usage examples#CAST
    14. The form of one's thoughts, mind etc.
    15. Obsolete form of caste (“hereditary social class of South Asia”)Category:English obsolete forms#CAST.
    16. Animal and insect remains which have been regurgitated by a bird.
    17. A group of crabs.
    18. (firearmsCategory:en:Firearms#CAST) The measurement of the angle of a shotgun stock from a top-view center line, used to align the shotgun to the shooter's eye.
      • Savage Arms, "THE PERFECT SHOTGUN FIT," 2021
        Cast is the measurement of the central line of the gun and the stock’s butt. If the butt is tilted slightly to the left of the central line, it’s called “cast on.” If the butt is tilted slightly to the right of the central line, it’s called “cast off.”
    19. A chance or attempt at something.
      Hyponym: last cast
    20. (archaicCategory:English terms with archaic senses#CAST, colloquialCategory:English colloquialisms#CAST) Assistance given by transporting a person or lightening their labour.

    Derived terms

    Translations

    Adjective

    cast (not comparable)Category:English lemmas#CASTCategory:English adjectives#CASTCategory:English uncomparable adjectives#CASTCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CAST

    1. Of an animal, such as a horse or sheep: Lying in a position from which it cannot rise on its own.

    Further reading

    Anagrams

    Category:English irregular past participles#CASTCategory:English irregular simple past forms#CASTCategory:English irregular verbs#CASTCategory:English verb forms using redundant wikisyntax#CAST Category:en:Appearance#CASTCategory:en:Collectives#CASTCategory:en:Wicca#CAST

    Catalan

    Etymology

    Likely borrowed from LatinCategory:Catalan terms borrowed from Latin#CASTCategory:Catalan terms derived from Latin#CAST castus.

    Pronunciation

    Adjective

    cast (feminine casta, masculine plural casts or castos, feminine plural castes)Category:Catalan lemmas#CASTCategory:Catalan adjectives#CASTCategory:Catalan entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CAST

    1. chaste

    Further reading

    Dutch

    Pronunciation

    Etymology 1

    Borrowed from EnglishCategory:Dutch terms borrowed from English#CASTCategory:Dutch terms derived from English#CAST cast.

    Noun

    cast m (plural casts, diminutive castje n)Category:Dutch lemmas#CASTCategory:Dutch nouns#CASTCategory:Dutch nouns with plural in -s#CASTCategory:Dutch entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Dutch masculine nouns#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CAST

    1. cast (people performing a movie or play)
    Synonyms

    Etymology 2

    See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

    Verb

    castCategory:Dutch non-lemma forms#CASTCategory:Dutch verb forms#CASTCategory:Dutch entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CAST

    1. inflection of casten:
      1. first/second/third-person singular present indicative
      2. imperative

    Italian

    Etymology

    Unadapted borrowing from EnglishCategory:Italian terms borrowed from English#CASTCategory:Italian unadapted borrowings from English#CASTCategory:Italian terms derived from English#CAST cast.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    cast m (invariable)Category:Italian lemmas#CASTCategory:Italian nouns#CASTCategory:Italian countable nouns#CASTCategory:Italian indeclinable nouns#CASTCategory:Italian entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Italian masculine nouns#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CAST

    1. cast (group of actors performing together)

    Romanian

    Etymology

    Borrowed from LatinCategory:Romanian terms borrowed from Latin#CASTCategory:Romanian terms derived from Latin#CAST castus.

    Pronunciation

    Adjective

    cast m or n (feminine singular castă, masculine plural caști, feminine/neuter plural caste)Category:Romanian lemmas#CASTCategory:Romanian adjectives#CASTCategory:Romanian entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CAST

    1. chaste, clean, pure
      Synonym: pur

    Declension

    Declension of cast
    singular plural
    masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
    nominative-
    accusative     		indefinite cast castă caști caste
    definite castul casta caștii castele
    genitive-
    dative     		indefinite cast caste caști caste
    definite castului castei caștilor castelor

    Spanish

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    cast m (plural cast)Category:Spanish lemmas#CASTCategory:Spanish nouns#CASTCategory:Spanish countable nouns#CASTCategory:Spanish entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Spanish masculine nouns#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CAST

    1. cast (group of actors)

    Welsh

    Pronunciation

    Etymology 1

    EnglishCategory:Welsh terms borrowed from English#CASTCategory:Welsh terms derived from English#CAST cast.

    Noun

    cast m (plural castiau or castau)Category:Welsh lemmas#CASTCategory:Welsh nouns#CASTCategory:Welsh countable nouns#CASTCategory:Welsh entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Welsh masculine nouns#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CASTCategory:Welsh nouns with red links in their headword lines#CASTCategory:Welsh nouns with red links in their headword lines#CAST

    1. trick, prank
      Synonyms: tric, ystryw, ystranc
    2. (unpleasant or unkind) habit
    Alternative forms
    Derived terms

    Etymology 2

    EnglishCategory:Welsh terms borrowed from English#CASTCategory:Welsh terms derived from English#CAST caste.

    Noun

    cast m (plural castau or castiau)Category:Welsh lemmas#CASTCategory:Welsh nouns#CASTCategory:Welsh countable nouns#CASTCategory:Welsh entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Welsh masculine nouns#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CASTCategory:Welsh nouns with red links in their headword lines#CASTCategory:Welsh nouns with red links in their headword lines#CAST

    1. caste

    Etymology 3

    EnglishCategory:Welsh terms borrowed from English#CASTCategory:Welsh terms derived from English#CAST cast.

    Noun

    cast m or f (plural castiau)Category:Welsh lemmas#CASTCategory:Welsh nouns#CASTCategory:Welsh countable nouns#CASTCategory:Welsh entries with incorrect language header#CASTCategory:Welsh masculine nouns#CASTCategory:Welsh feminine nouns#CASTCategory:Welsh nouns with multiple genders#CASTCategory:Pages with entries#CASTCategory:Pages with 7 entries#CASTCategory:Welsh nouns with red links in their headword lines#CAST

    1. cast (e.g. of plaster)
      Synonym: mowldiad

    Mutation

    Mutated forms of cast
    radical soft nasal aspirate
    cast gast nghast chast

    Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
    All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

    Further reading

    • D. G. Lewis, N. Lewis, editors (2005–present), “cast”, in Gweiadur: the Welsh–English Dictionary, Gwerin
    • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke, et al., editors (1950–present), “cast”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
    Category:cy:Recreation#CAST
    Category:Catalan adjectives Category:Catalan lemmas Category:Catalan terms borrowed from Latin Category:Catalan terms derived from Latin Category:Catalan terms with IPA pronunciation Category:Dutch lemmas Category:Dutch masculine nouns Category:Dutch non-lemma forms Category:Dutch nouns Category:Dutch nouns with plural in -s Category:Dutch terms borrowed from English Category:Dutch terms derived from English Category:Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation Category:Dutch terms with audio pronunciation Category:Dutch verb forms Category:English 1-syllable words Category:English adjectives Category:English colloquialisms Category:English countable nouns Category:English dated terms Category:English entries with etymology trees Category:English irregular past participles Category:English irregular simple past forms Category:English irregular verbs Category:English lemmas Category:English literary terms Category:English nouns Category:English obsolete forms Category:English terms derived 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unadapted borrowings from English Category:Mandarin terms with non-redundant manual transliterations Category:Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations Category:Pages with 7 entries Category:Pages with entries Category:Pages with etymology trees Category:Quotation templates to be cleaned Category:Requests for example sentences in English Category:Requests for review of Hebrew translations Category:Requests for review of Hungarian translations Category:Requests for review of Italian translations Category:Rhymes:English/æst Category:Rhymes:English/æst/1 syllable Category:Rhymes:English/ɑːst Category:Rhymes:English/ɑːst/1 syllable Category:Rhymes:Italian/ast Category:Rhymes:Italian/ast/1 syllable Category:Rhymes:Spanish/ast Category:Rhymes:Spanish/ast/1 syllable Category:Romanian adjectives Category:Romanian lemmas Category:Romanian terms borrowed from Latin Category:Romanian terms derived from Latin Category:Romanian terms with IPA pronunciation Category:Spanish 1-syllable words 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Category:en:Hunting Category:en:Media Category:en:Medicine Category:en:Nautical Category:en:Printing Category:en:Wicca