queen
noun
a female sovereign or monarch.
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queen
1 American
[kween]
/ kwin /
noun
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queens
plural
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a female sovereign or monarch.
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the wife or consort of a king.
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a woman, or something personified as a woman, that is foremost or preeminent in any respect.
a movie queen; a beauty queen; Athens, the queen of the Aegean.
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Slang: Usually Disparaging and Offensive. a term used to refer to a gay man, especially one who is flamboyantly campy or effeminate.
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a playing card bearing a picture of a queen.
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Chess. the most powerful piece of either color, moved across any number of empty squares in any direction.
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Entomology. a fertile female ant, bee, termite, or wasp.
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a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter Q.
verb (used without object)
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queens,
present (3rd person singular)
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queened,
past participle, past
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queening
present participle
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to reign as queen.
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to behave in an imperious or pretentious manner (usually followed byit ).
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Chess. to become promoted to a queen.
Queen
2
American
[kween]
/ kwin /
noun
queen
1
British
/ kwiːn /
noun
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a female sovereign who is the official ruler or head of state
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the wife or widow of a king
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a woman or a thing personified as a woman considered the best or most important of her kind
a beauty queen
the queen of ocean liners
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slang an effeminate male homosexual
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the only fertile female in a colony of social insects, such as bees, ants, and termites, from the eggs of which the entire colony develops
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( as modifier )
a queen bee
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an adult female cat
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one of four playing cards in a pack, one for each suit, bearing the picture of a queen
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a chess piece, theoretically the most powerful piece, able to move in a straight line in any direction or diagonally, over any number of squares
verb
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chess to promote (a pawn) to a queen when it reaches the eighth rank
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(tr) to crown as queen
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informal (intr) (of a gay man) to flaunt one's homosexuality
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(intr) to reign as queen
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informal (often foll by over) to behave in an overbearing manner
Queen
2
British
/ kwiːn /
noun
Sensitive Note
The term queen is usually used with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting when in reference to a gay man, especially one considered to be effeminate or flamboyant. However, within the gay community, it is sometimes used in a friendly, teasing, or facetious manner, and can also be a positive term of self-reference.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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queensimple
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queenssimple
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have queenedperfect
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has queenedperfect
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am queeningprogressive
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are queeningprogressive
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is queeningprogressive
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have been queeningperfect progressive
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has been queeningperfect progressive
Past
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queenedsimple
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had queenedperfect
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was queeningprogressive
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were queeningprogressive
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had been queeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of queen
First recorded before 900; Middle English quene, quen, Old English cwēn “woman, queen”; cognate with Old Saxon quān, Old Norse kvān, Gothic qēns, from unattested Germanic kwēni-; akin to Old Irish ben, Greek gynḗ woman, Russian zhená, Sanskrit jani “wife”
Explanation
In a monarchy, a queen is the female ruler of the country. Whether you are the Queen of England or the queen of a honey bee colony, you are the female in charge. A queen inherits the title and the job, either from her father (the king) or her mother (the queen). Sometimes the term "queen consort" is used for a king's wife — in this case, the queen isn't the ruler, but merely married to the guy in charge. Many fairs, festivals, and other events crown an honorary queen, so you might be crowned the butter queen at the state fair. There's a queen in chess, the most powerful piece on the board, and a deck of cards has four queens. The most important bee in a colony is also a queen.
Vocabulary lists containing queen
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.
See Examples For:
The late queen opened the first National Assembly for Wales - the previous incarnation of the Senedd - in 1999, and every post-election session until 2022.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Sporting knee-high boots and her platinum tresses loose, the 68-year-old pop queen sang "Bring Your Love" alongside Sabrina Carpenter before medleying with Charli XCX for "Danceteria."
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
He demonstrates how, as Catherine grew older and more devoted to religion, the court fashioned parallel households for king and queen, which “accommodated their increasingly separate and different lives.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
The Halloween episode will be hosted by newly minted horror queen Inde Navarrette from the hit film “Obsession,” joined by musical guest Gracie Abrams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
“In Mariposa, the king and the queen made sure everybody got what they needed,” Natalie said, “and everybody was happy.”
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
This historic 19th century royal jewelry set featuring fine Ceylon sapphires, diamonds and gold, famously associated with Queen Hortense and Queen Marie-Amélie, was partially stolen in the Musée du Louvre heist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Late Queen Elizabeth II's reaction to the disaster in Aberfan was said to be one of the biggest regrets of her 70-year reign.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
At the planting of ceramic poppies at the Tower of London, he handed Queen Camilla the last poppy to be placed to mark VE Day 80, according to the Spirit of Normandy.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
The discovery, detailed in a study published in Science Advances, came from physicist Kostya Trachenko at Queen Mary University of London.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
The Shadow Queen smirked, and when she did, the skin at the corners of her mouth began to peel off.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
David Starkey’s account of Henry VIII’s reign takes us, day by day, from Greenwich and Westminster to Hampton Court, alongside Henry and his successive queens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
The revisionist approach of “Six Wives” has traveled beyond a scholarly audience: Portraits of the queens such as those in Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s musical “Six” owe much to Mr. Starkey’s perspective.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
In the warm, dry spring a glut of glorious foundresses – new queens – emerged from hibernation to start their nests alone, carrying out all the nest building, egg laying, foraging and brood rearing.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
The queens this year will be hoping to spark more interest into the show and drag, including Paris Baby, who describes herself as "UK's British Bajan Barbie".
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
"And this change, O most learned Prince, has doubtless been brought to pass by the powerful incantations of those wicked persons who now call themselves kings and queens of Narnia."
From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis
Rxa8, and White soon to be queened pawn will help deliver checkmates in a couple of moves.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 8, 2022
I was donned myself of blue velvet guarded of miniver, and wore all my Lady’s jewels on mine head and corsage; and marry, but I queened it!
From In Convent Walls The Story of the Despensers by M. (Madelaine) Irwin
If once I had patronized Ellen, it was her turn now, and she queened it over me ruthlessly.
From Donald McElroy, Scotch Irishman by Willie Walker Caldwell
Once I had been sick and queened it over them for a while, now all of us strained ourselves trying to wait on Shelley; but she wouldn't have it.
From Laddie; a true blue story by Gene Stratton-Porter
But she herself queened it easily over the bizarre possessions now become hers.
From The Collectors by Frank Jewett Mather
Kxg2 b5!, and White resigns as he has no pawn on b2 to stop Black’s a-pawn from queening after 49. axb5 a4.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 29, 2022
Ng7, and Black resigned because there is no good way to prevent the White e-pawn from queening after his own queen checks run out.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 3, 2021
Qxh7 picks off the piece while retaining control of the b1 queening square.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 5, 2021
Bb6!, and now the White a-pawn has a clear path to the queening square.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 10, 2021
It was early, only a quarter past ten, and the night was now superb, the sky a clear, starless blue with the great moon queening it alone.
From Miss Maitland Private Secretary by Geraldine Bonner
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