CQ

American

Radio. a signal sent at the beginning of radiograms conveying general information or sent by an amateur as an invitation for any other amateur to reply.
Military. charge of quarters.

CQ British

noun

telegraphy telephony a symbol transmitted by an amateur radio operator requesting two-way communication with any other amateur radio operator listening

"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

abbreviation

military charge of quarters

"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

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.

CQ Roll Call’s John T. Bennett and I were the two reporters who asked about Trump violating it.

From Salon • Aug. 29, 2025

Trump first removed the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., and nominated a retired three-star general to succeed him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2025

A vote study by CQ Roll Call found her the second-most likely House Democrat to break ranks.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2024

CQ, CQ, CQ documents the world of amateur radio enthusiasts in Guernsey, and provides a conceptual portrayal of the contact with the world beyond Guernsey's shores that occurs when they are on the air.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2024

The last message sent out was "CQ" which was faintly heard by the steamer Virginian.

From Loss of the Steamship 'Titanic' by Government, British

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