queen

[ kween ]

/ kwin /

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noun

a female sovereign or monarch.

the wife or consort of a king.

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.

Slang: Usually Disparaging and Offensive. a term used to refer to a gay man, especially one who is flamboyantly campy or effeminate.See Usage note at the current entry.
drag queen.

a playing card bearing a picture of a queen.

Chess. the most powerful piece of either color, moved across any number of empty squares in any direction.

Entomology. a fertile female ant, bee, termite, or wasp.

a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter Q.

verb (used without object)

to reign as queen.

to behave in an imperious or pretentious manner (usually followed by it).

Chess. to become promoted to a queen.

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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”

usage note for queen

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 WORDS FROM queen

queen·less, adjectivequeen·like, adjectiveun·der·queen, noun

Words nearby queen

Quechan, Quechua, Quechuan, Queckenstedt-Stookey test, queef, queen, Queen Anne, Queen Anne's Bounty, Queen Anne's lace, Queen Anne's War, queen bee

Other definitions for queen (2 of 2)

Queen

[ kween ]

/ kwin /

noun

Ellery, joint pen name of Manfred Bennington Lee and Frederick Dannay.

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

How to use queen in a sentence

“They treated us like kings and queens,” said one member who participated in the set visit.
The case against caring about the Golden Globes|Alissa Wilkinson|February 26, 2021|Vox
These pale wrinkly little rodents, indigenous to East Africa, live in underground colonies with rigid roles and elaborate social hierarchies under the stewardship of a queen.
Like humans, naked mole-rats have regional accents|Rahul Rao|February 25, 2021|Popular-Science
Once a new queen emerges, the colony’s sound again starts to match.
Unique dialects help naked mole-rats tell friends from foes|Jonathan Lambert|February 24, 2021|Science News For Students
Alas, the queen has never liked the concept of “one foot in, one foot out” for working royals.
Prince Harry and Meghan lose their patronages, won’t return as ‘working royals’|William Booth, Karla Adam|February 19, 2021|Washington Post

The latest match pits Serena Williams, the queen of tennis, against Naomi Osaka, the youngster who is her heir apparent.
Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have a brief but memorable history|Cindy Boren|February 17, 2021|Washington Post
The reigning queen of hip-hop treads the boards in her teen years.
Nicki Minaj: High School Actress|Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The last time there was a raid of this scale was in 2001, when 52 men were arrested on Queen Boat, a floating disco on the Nile.
Sisi Is Persecuting, Prosecuting, and Publicly Shaming Egypt’s Gays|Bel Trew|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When they invade new territory, populations are low, and the queen has limited mate options.
Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family|Helen Thompson|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even the queen saw fit to honor him with the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace in 2008.
The Greatest Rock Voice of All Time Belonged to Joe Cocker|Ted Gioia|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A palace insider however insisted to the Daily Beast today that the Queen was not about to abdicate.
Could The Queen Abdicate on Christmas Day?|Tom Sykes|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All along the highways and by-paths of our literature we encounter much that pertains to this "queen of plants."
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
A fancy came into my head that I would entertain the king and queen with an English tune upon this instrument.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
Q was a Queen, who wore a silk slip; R was a Robber, and wanted a whip.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
One of her humours was to unite the son of her minister, with a niece of the widowed Queen of Saint Germain's.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
As night began to settle down over the land, the Queen Elizabeth seemed to feel the time had come to give full vent to her wrath.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for queen (1 of 2)

queen

/ (kwiːn) /

noun

a female sovereign who is the official ruler or head of state

the wife or widow of a king

a woman or a thing personified as a woman considered the best or most important of her kinda beauty queen; the queen of ocean liners

slang an effeminate male homosexual

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
(as modifier)a queen bee

an adult female cat

one of four playing cards in a pack, one for each suit, bearing the picture of a queen

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

chess to promote (a pawn) to a queen when it reaches the eighth rank

(tr) to crown as queen

(intr) informal (of a gay man) to flaunt one's homosexuality

(intr) to reign as queen

queen it (often foll by over) informal to behave in an overbearing manner

Word Origin for queen

Old English cwēn; related to Old Saxon quān wife, Old Norse kvæn, Gothic qēns wife

British Dictionary definitions for queen (2 of 2)

Queen

/ (kwiːn) /

noun

Ellery (ˈɛlərɪ). pseudonym of Frederic Dannay (1905–82) and Manfred B. Lee (1905–71), US co-authors of detective novels featuring a sleuth also called Ellery Queen

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

queen

Origin of queen

usage note for queen

OTHER WORDS FROM queen

Words nearby queen

Other definitions for queen (2 of 2)

Words related to queen

How to use queen in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for queen (1 of 2)

Word Origin for queen

British Dictionary definitions for queen (2 of 2)