cue
Noun · VerbOpen English WordNet
Noun (4)cues
- an actor's line that immediately precedes and serves as a reminder for some action or speechType of actor's line, speechKinds prompt, prompting
- evidence that helps to solve a problemSynonyms: clueclewType of evidenceKinds sign, mark
- a stimulus that provides information about what to doSynonyms: discriminative stimulusType of stimulation, stimulus
- sports implement consisting of a tapering rod used to strike a cue ball in pool or billiardsSynonyms: cue stickpool cuepool stickType of sports implementParts stock
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Noun signal to do something, prompt
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: OF. coue, coe, F. queue, fr. L. coda, cauda, tail. Cf. Caudal, Coward, Queue.
1. The tail; the end of a thing; especially, a tail-like twist of hair worn at the back of the head; a queue.
2. The last words of a play actor's speech, serving as an intimation for the next succeeding player to speak; any word or words which serve to remind a player to speak or to do something; a catchword.
When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer.— William Shakespeare
3. A hint or intimation.
Give them [the servants] their cue to attend in two lines as he leaves the house.— Jonathan Swift
4. The part one has to perform in, or as in, a play.
Were it my cueto fight, I should have known it Without a prompter.— William Shakespeare
5. Humor; temper of mind. colloquial Charles Dickens
6. A straight tapering rod used to impel the balls in playing billiards.
To form into a cue; to braid; to twist.
Origin: From q, an abbreviation for quadrans a farthing.
A small portion of bread or beer; the quantity bought with a farthing or half farthing. obsolete
☞ The term was formerly current in the English universities, the letter q being the mark in the buttery books to denote such a portion. Rob. Nares
Hast thou worn Gowns in the university, tossed logic, Sucked philosophy, eat cues?— Old Play.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54