Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - cast

~1 v past tense and past participle cast 1 cast (a) light on/onto a) to provide new information which makes something easier to understand  (research findings that cast new light on the origin of our universe) b) literary to send light onto a surface  (The candle cast a flickering light on the wall.) 2 cast a shadow literary a) if something casts a shadow over an event, period of time etc, it makes people feel less happy or hopeful because they are worried about it + over  (My father's illness cast a shadow over the wedding celebrations.) b) to make a shadow appear on a surface or area + on/over/across etc  (The oak tree casts a long shadow across the lawn in the afternoon.) 3 »LOOK« a) cast a look/glance literary to look at someone or something + at/towards/around etc  (Sandra waited, casting nervous glances over her shoulder.) b) cast an eye over to check or look at something quickly  (Could you just cast an eye over these figures before I show them to the bank?) 4 cast doubt on to make people feel less certain about something  (Preliminary results from an Anglo-French trial cast doubts on the usefulness of the drug.) 5 cast a vote also cast a ballot AmE to vote in an election  (Barely one in three voters will bother to cast a ballot on February 26th.) 6 cast a spell on/over a) to use magic words or ceremonies to change someone or something  (She's a witch! She'll cast a spell on you if she sees you in the wood!) b) to make someone feel very strongly attracted and keep their attention completely  (Within minutes Sinatra's voice had cast its spell on the audience.) 7 cast your mind back to try to remember something that happened a long time ago  (Cast your mind back to your first day at school.) 8 cast sth from your mind if you cast worries, fears, doubts etc from your mind, you stop feeling worried, afraid etc 9 cast aspersions on formal to make unfavourable remarks about someone or something  (Under the censorship rules, they could not cast aspersions on a foreign power.) 10 »METAL« to pour liquid metal, plastic etc into a mould (=specially shaped container), or to make an object in this way  (a statue of a horse cast in bronze) 11 »ACTOR« to choose which people will act particular parts in a play, film etc 12 cast sb as/cast sb in the role of to regard or describe someone as a particular type of person  (Clarke's trying to cast me in the role of the villain in all of this.) 13 »FISHING« to throw a fishing line or net into the water  (There's a trick to casting properly.) 14 »THROW« T always + adv/prep literary to throw something somewhere  (Sparks leapt as more wood was cast onto the bonfire.) 15 cast sb into prison/into a dungeon/into Hell etc literary to force someone to go somewhere unpleasant  (Memet should, in her opinion, be cast into prison.) 16 be cast away to be left alone on a lonely shore or island, as a result of your ship sinking  (If you were cast away on a desert island, what would you miss most?) 17 be cast down literary to feel sad and discouraged  (Malcolm too seemed quite cast down.) 18 cast your net wide to consider or try as many things as possible in order to find what you want  (We'll be casting our net wide to get the right person for the job.) 19 »CAST ITS SKIN« if a snake casts its skin, it gets rid of the top layer 20 cast a shoe if a horse casts a shoe, it loses one of them 21 cast a horoscope to calculate the details of someone's horoscope 22 cast pearls before swine to offer something that is very valuable or beautiful to someone who does not understand how valuable it is  (- see also the die is cast die2 (3), throw in/cast your lot with lot (16)) cast about/around for sth phr v to try to think of something to do or say  (Having retired early, I am casting about for a way to supplement my income.) cast sb/sth aside phr v to get rid of someone or something because you no longer like them or they are no longer useful  (When Henry became King, he cast aside all his former friends. | cast aside your inhibitions/doubts etc (=get rid of your feelings of shyness, doubt etc)) cast off phr v 1 T cast someone/th off) literary to get rid of something or someone  (a haven of tranquility where you can cast off the strains and stresses of life) 2 T cast something off) to untie the rope that fastens your boat to the shore so that you can sail away 3 T cast something off) to finish a piece of knitting by taking the last stitches off the needle in a way that stops them from coming undone cast on phr v T cast something on) to start a piece of knitting by making the first stitches on the needle cast sb/sth out phr v literary to force someone or something to go away  (an exorcist who casts out demons) cast sth up phr v if the sea casts up something, it brings it onto the shore  (A body had been cast up on the rocks.) ~2 n 1 »ACTORS« all the people who act in a play or film  (Films like `Ben Hur' have a cast of thousands.) 2 »ON YOUR BODY« a hard protective case used around a part of your body to support a broken bone  (a plaster cast | Murray has his leg in a cast.) 3 »FOR SHAPING METAL« a) a mould (=specially shaped container) into which you pour liquid metal, plastic etc in order to make an object of a particular shape b) an object made in this way 4 cast of (sb's) mind/features formal the way someone thinks, behaves, or looks  (a philosophical cast of mind) 5 »IN FISHING« the act of throwing a fishing line 6 have a cast in your eye old-fashioned to have a problem with your eye which forces it to look to the side 7 »COLOUR« a small amount of a particular colour  (Sage leaves have a silvery cast.) 8 »EARTH« a small pile of earth thrown out of the ground by worms when they make a hole