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DictionaryRoot: kasta
Old Norse

kasta

to throw

Forms

  • kasta
  • cast — English dropped the Norse ending.

Origin

An Old Norse verb with relatives elsewhere in Germanic; its deeper ancestry is uncertain.

Note

Throwing something outward underlies later ideas such as projecting, assigning, and shaping by pouring.

1 / 1
noun / verb

cast

The selection of actors for a production or the group selected.

The director casts a new actor in the leading role.

Etymology
castOld Norseto throw

Old Norse kasta meant to throw. English cast developed uses involving distribution or assignment, including allocating theatrical parts; the noun then names the actors assigned those parts.

More examples

  • The cast rehearsed together for weeks.
  • She has cast every part in the play.
  • Several casts performed the production on tour.

Forms

cast · casts · casting

casting noun — The process of choosing performers for roles.

Similar words

ensemble
A group of performers working together, not necessarily the whole cast.
company
An organized group of performers that may stage several productions.