cue

[ 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

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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

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

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

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

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

Then, plan to update your individual messages with audio cues that are specific to each campaign.
Top five tips to use Twitter’s new Voice Tweets feature|David Ciccarelli|August 25, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Political science shows us that voters follow cues from their parties, and are more likely to change their opinions on issues to align with their partisan identity than they are to change their partisan identity to fit with preexisting opinions.
Why There Are So Few Moderate Republicans Left|Lee Drutman (drutman@newamerica.org)|August 24, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
We rely on direct eye contact and small facial cues and miss them when they’re gone.
That chatbot I’ve loved to hate|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
To promote safety on the road, it is a “heads-up” game, relying on audio cues rather than asking players to stare at a screen.
A breath of fresh air in video games|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review

The reason we see a circle, when the eye gets an ellipse, is because of a variety of visual cues and our knowledge of the world.
This Vision Experiment Resolved a Centuries-Old Philosophical Debate - Facts So Romantic|Jim Davies|August 14, 2020|Nautilus
Television and film are enormously influential in our culture, particularly for the cues they send about health and sexuality.
Planned Parenthood: Why NBC's Abortion Ad Snafu Matters|Eric Ferrero|June 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jay Z should perhaps take some cues from his wife, Beyoncé, who has just done the exact opposite with great éclat.
He’s A Businessman, Man: Jay Z’s Pursuit of Profit and Why We Don’t Trust Him|Rawiya Kameir|January 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On Friday morning, take some cues from around the world—if you can stomach it.
The Wildest Hangover Cures From Around the World|Nina Strochlic|November 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Taking your cues from Koons is like singing inside a balloon.
From Lady Gaga To Jay-Z, “Serious” Art Is Ruining Pop Music|James Poulos|November 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Instead, they pay attention to signals and cues about what matters most to a president.
Be More Like Teddy|Reihan Salam|August 26, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Fellows were pushing into the room with cues in their hands and their coats off.
Princeton Stories|Jesse Lynch Williams
The moveable adjuncts to the table are cues, balls, butt, and a rest or jigger.
Every Boy's Book: A Complete Encyclopdia of Sports and Amusements|Various
Damphool read the entire service, Minister's cues included, and sung all the hymns.
Doesticks, What He Says|Q. K. Philander Doesticks
The Colonel, after examining the cues with marked disapproval, eventually selects one of short length and pronounced weight.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 153, July 25, 1917|Various
The two players chalked their cues and stopped to participate.
The Beautiful White Devil|Guy Boothby

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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cue

noun

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

SYNONYMS FOR cue

QUIZZES

LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!

Idioms for cue

Origin of cue

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cue

Definition for cue (2 of 3)

noun

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

Origin of cue

Definition for cue (3 of 3)

noun

Origin of cue

Example sentences from the Web for cue

British Dictionary definitions for cue (1 of 2)

noun

verb cues, cueing or cued

Word Origin for cue

British Dictionary definitions for cue (2 of 2)

noun

verb cues, cueing or cued

Word Origin for cue

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

cue

noun

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

SYNONYMS FOR cue

QUIZZES

LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!

Idioms for cue

Origin of cue

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cue

Definition for cue (2 of 3)

noun

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

Origin of cue

Definition for cue (3 of 3)

noun

Origin of cue

Words related to cue

Example sentences from the Web for cue

British Dictionary definitions for cue (1 of 2)

noun

verb cues, cueing or cued

Word Origin for cue

British Dictionary definitions for cue (2 of 2)

noun

verb cues, cueing or cued

Word Origin for cue