cue

[ kyoo ]

/ kyu /

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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).

OTHER WORDS FOR cue

1 signal.

3 sign, hint, key, tip, inkling.

See synonyms for cue on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about 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

Other definitions 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

Other definitions 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. 2023

How to use cue in a sentence

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
Instead, the writers had to rely on visual cues and ambiance.
Yep, Korra and Asami Went in the Spirit Portal and Probably Kissed|Melissa Leon|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The same applies to other visual cues that tend to go unremarked.
Afghanistan, We Hardly Knew You|Jonathan Foreman|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Minaj further mystifies her motives by layering these terrifying, offensive visual cues with her own totally incongruous lyrics.
Nicki Minaj’s ‘Only’ Lyrics Video Is Like a Loose Adaptation of ‘Mein Kampf’ ft. Drake|Amy Zimmerman|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When we did it in the dress rehearsal one of the music cues was late and we both flubbed a rap line.
How Aidy Bryant Stealthily Became Your Favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ Star|Kevin Fallon|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Despite all the visual cues which might suggest otherwise, Manning was adamant that he was not trying to promote himself.
‘Crazy’ Harlem Pastor Hates on Obama and Gays|Olivia Nuzzi|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Do I understand that billiard cues have also taken to hunger-striking?
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, January 28, 1914|Various
But, while we have time, tell me my cues, for I share your opinion of the Duke of Alva.
The Ghost Breaker|Charles Goddard
At 14, I wasn't super-sure what a wizard was supposed to sound like, but I could take my cues from the movies and novels.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
The facts are very questionable, but we have no other cues for determining that menstruation is taking place.
Criminal Psychology|Hans Gross
We select the things that we hope or trust are cues to meaning.
How We Think|John Dewey

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

cue

OTHER WORDS FOR cue

Idioms about cue

Origin of cue

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH cue

Other definitions for cue (2 of 3)

Origin of cue

Other definitions for cue (3 of 3)

Origin of cue

Words related to cue

How to use cue in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cue (1 of 2)

Word Origin for cue

British Dictionary definitions for cue (2 of 2)

Word Origin for cue