cue
1anything 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.
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).
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
1Other words for cue
Words that may be confused with cue
- cue , queue
Other definitions for cue (2 of 3)
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.
to tie into a queue.
to strike with a cue.
Origin of cue
2Other definitions for cue (3 of 3)
the letter Q, q.
Origin of cue
3Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cue in a sentence
On cue, Big Finance will be heavily represented in this week’s quarterly results.
Why earnings season could be the next big lift for stocks | Bernhard Warner | October 12, 2020 | FortuneWe’ve evolved to take cues from the outside world to escape threats like an animal chasing us, so a well-placed hint can make us see things that aren’t there.
Other studies have shown that canines can recognize people’s facial cues.
While data aggregators and analysts will pick up on media signals, investors will also look for these cues to drive their strategy.
Sustainability: If your company has a great record, make sure investors hear about it | matthewheimer | October 2, 2020 | FortuneHe also wants to know if blue whales listen for time shifts in the songs of distant whales as a cue to start their own migration.
Before migrating, some blue whales switch up the timing of their songs | Jake Buehler | October 1, 2020 | Science News
British Dictionary definitions for cue (1 of 2)
/ (kjuː) /
(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
(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 performance: to 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!"
Origin of cue
1British Dictionary definitions for cue (2 of 2)
/ (kjuː) /
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
to drive (a ball) with a cue
(tr) to twist or tie (the hair) into a cue
Origin of cue
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse