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British

cue

¹

[ kyoo ]

/ kyu /

See synonyms for: cue / cued / cues / cuing on Thesaurus.com

noun

anything said or done, on or off stage, that is followed by a specific line or action: An off-stage door slam was his cue to enter.

anything that excites to action; stimulus.

a hint; intimation; guiding suggestion.

the part a person is to play; a prescribed or necessary course of action.

a sensory signal used to identify experiences, facilitate memory, or organize responses.

Archaic. frame of mind; mood.

verb (used with object), cued, cu·ing.

to provide with a cue or indication; give a cue to; prompt: Will you cue me on my lines?

to insert, or direct to come in, in a specific place in a musical or dramatic performance (usually followed by in or into): to cue in a lighting effect.

to search for and reach (a specific track on a recording) (sometimes followed by up).

SYNONYMS FOR cue

1 signal.

3 sign, hint, key, tip, inkling.

See synonyms for cue on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR CUE

WATCH NOW: What Is The Difference Between "Cue" And "Queue"?

Homophones are words that sound the same but mean different things (and are often times spelled differently too). "Queue" and "cue" are examples of homophones. Do you know what they both mean?

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QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for cue

cue (someone) in, Informal. to inform; give instructions, information, news, etc., to: Cue him in on the plans for the dance.

miss a cue,

to fail to respond to a cue.
Informal. to miss the point: You could tell by his expression that he had missed a cue.

Origin of cue

¹

First recorded in 1545–55; spelled name of the letter q as an abbreviation (found in acting scripts) of Latin quandō “when”

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cue

cue , queue

Words nearby cue

cudgerie, Cudjo, Cudlipp, cudweed, Cudworth, cue, cue ball, cue bid, cue card, cued speech, cue in

Definition for cue (2 of 3)

cue²

[ kyoo ]

/ kyu /

noun

a long, tapering rod, tipped with a soft leather pad, used to strike the ball in billiards, pool, etc.

a long, usually wooden stick with a concave head, used to propel the disks in shuffleboard.

a queue or braid of hair worn behind the head.

a queue or file, as of persons awaiting their turn.

verb (used with object), cued, cu·ing.

to tie into a queue.

to strike with a cue.

Origin of cue

²

First recorded in 1740–50; from French queue “tail,” Old French cöe, coue, from Latin cōda, popular form of cauda “tail”; cf. coward, queue

Definition for cue (3 of 3)

cue³

[ kyoo ]

/ kyu /

noun

the letter Q, q.

Origin of cue

³

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English cu; conventional adaptation in spelling of the letter name

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for cue

Cue heartbroken Galavant engorging himself on booze and mutton back home.
‘Galavant’: A Drunken, Horny Musical Fairy Tale|Melissa Leon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She did not weep on cue in public when Monteith died, or seek sympathy.
Why Does Everyone Hate Lea Michele?|Tim Teeman|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Affleck, as if on cue, challenged Harris: “Are you the person who understands the officially codified doctrine of Islam?”
Bill Maher 1, Ben Affleck 0|Michael Tomasky|October 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cue a series of shots of these veteran actors dusting off their best revenge faces.
I Am The Hague! Sylvester Stallone's 'Expendable' Wet Dream|Amy Zimmerman|August 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Indeed, Republicans should take their cue from William McKinley, another Republican president and an Ohioan.
Cleveland, LeBron James, and the 2016 Republican Convention|Lloyd Green|July 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But weakness was her "cue," as well as the line of least resistance.
The Lion's Mouse|C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson
Were it my cue to insult you, it is not in this affair I should look for the grounds of quarrel.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 15, August, 1851|Various
Mrs. Slapman was heard to whisper something (probably the cue), but he only rolled his eyes heavily in response.
Round the Block|John Bell Bouton
There was no time now for hesitancy; here was my cue, and I must plunge ahead, accepting the chances.
My Lady of the North|Randall Parrish
The steward stepped on to the quarter-deck and looked up at his master in a way that made me suspect he had got his cue.
The Wreck of the Grosvenor, Volume 1 of 3|William Clark Russell

British Dictionary definitions for cue (1 of 2)

cue¹

/ (kjuː) /

noun

(in the theatre, films, music, etc) anything spoken or done that serves as a signal to an actor, musician, etc, to follow with specific lines or action
on cue at the right moment

a signal or reminder to do something

psychol the part of any sensory pattern that is identified as the signal for a response

the part, function, or action assigned to or expected of a person

verb cues, cueing or cued

(tr) to give a cue or cues to (an actor)

(usually foll by in or into) to signal (to something or somebody) at a specific moment in a musical or dramatic performanceto cue in a flourish of trumpets

(tr) to give information or a reminder to (someone)

(intr) to signal the commencement of filming, as with the word "Action!"

Word Origin for cue

C16: probably from name of the letter q, used in an actor's script to represent Latin quando when

British Dictionary definitions for cue (2 of 2)

cue²

/ (kjuː) /

noun

billiards snooker a long tapered shaft with a leather tip, used to drive the balls

hair caught at the back forming a tail or braid

US a variant spelling of queue

verb cues, cueing or cued

to drive (a ball) with a cue

(tr) to twist or tie (the hair) into a cue

Word Origin for cue

C18: variant of queue

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

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