cue

cue · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A signal for someone to do something, especially in a performance.

  2. 2.

    To give a signal to someone.

  3. 3.

    A hint or indication of how to behave.

  4. 4.

    To prompt or signal.

  5. 5.

    A long stick used in billiards, pool, or snooker.

Forms

plural: cues

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    on cue — at exactly the right moment
  • •
    take one's cue from — follow someone's example
  • •
    cue card — a card displaying prompts for a performer
  • •
    cue ball — the white ball struck in pool or snooker

Related words

See also: prompt, queue, signal
Synonyms: hint, prompt, signal

Etymology

Sense 1-2: From Latin "quando" (when), originally written as "Q" in theatrical scripts to mark an actor's entrance. Sense 3: Variant of "queue," from French.