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drag queen

American  
[drag kween] / ˈdræg ˌkwin /

noun

Slang.

  1. a performer, typically one who was assigned male at birth, whose act involves a stylized and exaggerated interpretation of femininity that plays with stereotypical gender themes.

drag queen British  

noun

  1. a male who dresses as a woman and impersonates female characteristics for public entertainment

  2. slang a male transvestite

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
drag queen Idioms  

  1. A male transvestite; also, a female impersonator. For example, He was surprised to find out that Roxanne was actually a drag queen. This term uses the slang noun drag in the sense of “female attire worn by a man” (a usage dating from about 1870; also see in drag). [Offensive slang; c. 1940]

Etymology

Origin of drag queen

First recorded in 1960–65; drag (in the sense “wearing clothes characteristic with a different sex”) + queen (in the sense “flamboyantly effeminate gay man”)

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Drag queen Jiggly Caliente, a fierce performer who competed on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” will take time away from the spotlight to focus on her health after a portion of her right leg was recently amputated.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2025

Drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash is walking through now.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2024

Drag queen Peppe Pig said the pageant gave her the opportunity to travel outside her home country of Guatemala, and that drag has helped her meet new friends and her current partner.

From Reuters • Jul. 15, 2023

Drag queen bingo nights, friendsgiving and Christmas dinners, birthday celebrations became staples of Club Q which was open 365 days a year.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2022

Drag queen bingo and a “Queer Art Storytelling Tour” are among several Pride Month programs for corporate workers and their families that have gone online as conservatives target in-person events aimed at children.

From Washington Times • Jun. 17, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.