cast

cast1 [ kæst ] (past tense and past participle cast) verb ***

▸ 1 choose actor for part

▸ 2 describe someone as a type

▸ 3 look at someone/something

▸ 4 give light/a shadow

▸ 5 throw

▸ 6 move fishing line/net

▸ 7 make something in a mold

▸ 8 tell the future

▸ 9 slide out of skin

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) transitive to choose a performer for a particular part or for a particular type of part in a movie, play, etc.:

Ralph Fiennes was cast in the lead role of King Richard.

cast someone as something: She was tired of always being cast as a sex symbol.

a ) to choose all the performers for a movie, play, etc.

2. ) transitive to describe someone or something as belonging to a particular type: CATEGORIZE:

cast someone as something: From his earliest days on the team he was cast as a troublemaker.

3. ) transitive to look at someone or something in a particular way:

cast a look/glance: She cast an impatient look at Mitch and stormed out of the room.

cast an eye over/cast your eyes over: Harry cast his eyes over the bewildering array of instruments on the control panel.

4. ) transitive MAINLY LITERARY to make light or a shadow appear in a particular place

5. ) transitive LITERARY to throw someone or something somewhere

6. ) intransitive or transitive to swing a FISHING ROD forward so that the end of the line falls into the water

a ) to throw a fishing net into the water

7. ) transitive to form an object by pouring liquid metal or liquid plastic into a MOLD:

The Rodin sculptures are cast in bronze.

8. ) transitive to make a HOROSCOPE in order to say what will happen in the future, by calculating the positions of stars and planets

9. ) transitive if a snake casts its skin, it slides out of it

be cast away

to be left on an island or beach because your ship has sunk

be cast down MAINLY LITERARY

to feel upset or disappointed

cast doubt on something

to make something seem less certain, good, or real:

The recent downturn in sales casts doubt on the company's future.

fresh information that casts doubt on his integrity

cast something from your mind

to stop thinking about something, so that you will no longer be affected by it or worried about it

cast (new/fresh) light on something

to provide information that helps people understand something more clearly:

Human genome research is casting new light on Alzheimer's disease.

cast your mind back BRITISH

to think about something that happened in the past, especially in order to remember something important:

Try to cast your mind back to the last conversation you had with her.

cast your net wide

to consider or involve a large variety of people or things

cast a shadow over something

to make a situation seem less hopeful and more likely to end badly:

Last night's killings cast a dark shadow over the peace talks.

cast a spell on/over someone

1. ) to use magic to make something happen to someone

2. ) to have a strong emotional effect on someone:

The Grand Canyon never fails to cast a spell over the traveler.

cast a vote/ballot

to vote in an election:

Fewer than 20% of the votes cast were for conservative candidates.

,cast a`round for phrasal verb transitive

cast around for something to look for or try to think of something, especially when you feel pressure to do something quickly:

Casting around for a safe topic, she made a comment about the weather.

,cast a`side phrasal verb transitive

to get rid of someone or something because it is no longer interesting or valuable to you

,cast `off phrasal verb

1. ) transitive to get rid of someone or something:

It took many years for Chicago to cast off its reputation as the home of violent gangsters.

2. ) intransitive or transitive to untie the rope fastening your boat to the land so that you can sail away

a ) intransitive if a boat casts off, it is untied and moves away from the land

3. ) intransitive or transitive to finish a piece of KNITTING by removing the stitches from the needle and making a neat edge

,cast `on phrasal verb intransitive or transitive

to start a piece of KNITTING by making the first row of stitches

,cast `out phrasal verb transitive LITERARY

to force someone or something to leave a place

cast

cast 2 [ kæst ] noun *

▸ 1 all actors in movie/play

▸ 2 for broken body part

▸ 3 something made in a mold

▸ 4 particular type

▸ 5 in fishing

1. ) count all the performers in a movie, play, etc.:

An all-star cast includes Michael Douglas as the U.S. President.

She was a member of the cast of The Sound of Music for years.

cast of: The play has a cast of four.

2. ) count MEDICAL a hard cover for protecting a broken or injured part of the body, such as an arm or leg, while it is getting better:

Sheila broke her arm skiing and had to wear a cast.

3. ) count an object formed into a particular shape by pouring a liquid into a MOLD, allowing the liquid to become hard, and then removing the mold:

The museum's study hall has casts of many Greek statues.

a ) a MOLD used to form a particular shape

4. ) singular BRITISH a particular type of something, especially someone's mind, face, or features:

cast of mind: men of a military cast of mind

a ) the particular way that something looks, especially if it is only slightly noticeable:

His face had a slightly greenish cast.

5. ) count the action of swinging a fishing line or net into the water