cue
B2Neutral; common in everyday, performance, and sports contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A signal or prompt for someone to begin an action or speak.
In theatre/film: a signal for an actor to begin a speech or action. In sports: a stick used to strike the ball in billiards, snooker, or pool. In psychology: a stimulus that guides behaviour. In computing: a reference mark for timing or synchronisation. In music: a signal to begin playing.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word operates across multiple distinct domains (performance, sport, psychology, computing) with a shared core idea of a 'signal' or 'implement for striking'. The billiards sense is historically derived from 'queue' (tail), referring to the stick's shape.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling and some collocational preferences. In billiards/snooker contexts, 'cue' is universal, but 'snooker cue' is more common in the UK, 'pool cue' in the US.
Connotations
Slightly more theatrical in UK general usage; slightly more sports-oriented in US general usage due to popularity of pool.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English due to cultural prominence of snooker and theatre.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Noun: cue for + NP (a cue for action)Verb: cue + NP (cue the lights)Verb: cue + NP + to INF (cue him to enter)Phrasal: cue up + NP (cue up the next track)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Take a cue from someone/something”
- “Right on cue”
- “Miss your cue”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used metaphorically: 'We took our cue from market trends.' Means to follow an indicator.
Academic
In psychology: 'The environmental cue triggered the response.'
Everyday
Common: 'When I nodded, that was your cue to leave.'
Technical
In audio/video: 'Cue the recording to the 10-minute mark.' In theatre: 'Standby for your light cue.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The stage manager will cue the sound effect.
- He cued the clip perfectly for the news report.
American English
- Cue the music when the logo appears.
- The director cued the actor to enter stage left.
adverb
British English
- N/A – 'cue' is not used as an adverb.
American English
- N/A – 'cue' is not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- N/A – 'cue' is not standardly used as an adjective.
American English
- N/A – 'cue' is not standardly used as an adjective.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My teacher gave me a cue to start reading.
- He uses a long cue to play pool.
- The actor entered right on cue.
- I took my cue from her and also left the meeting.
- Subtle social cues can be difficult for some people to interpret.
- The DJ cued up the next track seamlessly.
- The experiment examined how olfactory cues affect memory recall.
- Her resignation served as a cue for a wider exodus of staff.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of an actor waiting for their CUE – it sounds like 'Q', the letter that often needs a 'U' to follow it. A cue tells you what comes next.
Conceptual Metaphor
GUIDANCE IS A SIGNAL (to take a cue from someone). TIMING IS A MARK (right on cue).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'queue' (очередь), though historically related. 'Cue' is сигнал, реплика, кий. 'Queue' is очередь. In billiards, 'cue' is кий, not 'биток' (the cue ball).
Common Mistakes
- Confusing spelling: 'queue' vs. 'cue'. Using 'cue' as a verb incorrectly: 'He cued me the answer' (awkward). Better: 'He cued me to give the answer.'
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'cue' LEAST likely be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While 'cue' (signal/stick) historically comes from 'queue' (tail, line), they are now separate words with distinct meanings: 'cue' is a signal, 'queue' is a line of people or tasks.
Yes, commonly. It means to give a signal or to set something in readiness (e.g., 'cue the music', 'cue the video clip').
It is an idiom meaning to use someone's behaviour or a situation as a guide for your own actions. E.g., 'We should take our cue from the experts.'
The 'cue' is the long stick used to strike the balls. The white ball that is struck by the cue is called the 'cue ball'.
Explore