Webster's English Dictionary

cast

Cross references:
  1. discard                2. throw                 
 
1. cast \'kast\ vb or cast;  or cast.ing [ME casten, fr. ON kasta; akin to 
   ON ko.s heap and perh. t]o L gerere to carry, wage 1a: to cause to move by 
   throwing {~ a fishing lure}  1b: DIRECT {~ a glance}  1c1: to put forth 
   {the fire ~s a warm glow}  1c2: to place as if by throwing {~ doubt upon 
   their reliability}  1d: to deposit (a ballot) formally  1e1: to throw off 
   or away {the horse ~ a shoe}  1e2: to get rid of : DISCARD {~ off all 
   restraint}  1e3: SHED, MOLT  1e4: to bring forth; esp : to give birth to 
   prematurely  1f: to throw to the ground esp. in wrestling  1g: to build by 
   throwing up earth  2a1: to perform arithmetical operations on : ADD  2a2: 
   to calculate by means of astrology  archaic  2b: DECIDE, INTEND  3a: to 
   dispose or arrange into parts or into a suitable form or order  3b1: to 
   assign the parts of to actors  3b2: to assign to a role or part  4a: to 
   give a shape to (a substance) by pouring in liquid or plastic form  into a 
   mold and letting harden without pressure {~ steel} 4b: to form by this 
   process {~ machine parts}  4c: to make a stereotype or other printing plate 
   from (letterpress matter)  : PLATE 5: TURN {~ the scale slightly}  6: to 
   make (a knot or stitch) by looping or catching up  7: TWIST, WARP {a beam ~ 
   by age}  1: to throw something; specif : to throw out a lure with a fishing 
    rod dial Brit  2: VOMIT  dial Eng  3: to bear fruit : YIELD  4a: to 
   perform addition  obs  4b: ESTIMATE, CONJECTURE  5: WARP  6: to make a cast 
   - used of hunting dogs or trackers  7a: VEER  7b: to wear ship  8: to take 
   form in a mold  : to draw lots to determine a matter by chance  - cast lots 
2. cast n 1a: an act of casting  1b: something that happens as a result of 
   chance  1c: a throw of dice  1d: a throw of a line (as a fishing line) or 
   net  2a: the form in which a thing is constructed  2b: the set of 
   characters in a play or narrative  2c: the arrangement of draperies in a 
   painting  3: the distance to which a thing can be thrown; specif : the 
   distan ce a bow can shoot 4a: a turning of the eye in a particular 
   direction; also : EXPRE SSION 4b: a slight strabismus  5: something that is 
   thrown or the quantity thrown : as  5a: the number of hawks released by a 
   falconer at one time  Brit  5b: the leader of a fishing line  5c: the 
   quantity of metal cast at a single operation  6a: something that is formed 
   by casting in a mold or form : as  6a1: a reproduction (as of a statue) in 
   metal or plaster : CASTING  6a2: a fossil reproduction of the details of a 
   natural object by mineral in filtration 6b: an impression taken from an 
   object with a liquid or plastic substance :: MOLD 6c: a rigid dressing of 
   gauze impregnated with plaster of paris for immobil izing a diseased or 
   broken part 7: FORECAST, CONJECTURE  8a: an overspread of a color : SHADE  
   8b: TINGE, SUGGESTION  9a: a ride on one's way in a vehicle : LIFT  Scot  
   9b: HELP, ASSISTANCE  10a: SHAPE, APPEARANCE  10b: characteristic quality  
   11: something that is thrown out or off, shed, or ejected : as  11a: the 
   excrement of an earthworm  11b: a mass of plastic matter formed in cavities 
   of diseased organs and dis charged from the body 11c: the skin of an insect 
    12: the ranging in search of a trail by a dog, hunting pack, or tracker