- an action or event that is a signal for somebody to do something
- cue (for something) Jon's arrival was a cue for more champagne.
- cue to do something I think that's my cue to explain why I'm here.
Homophones cue | queuecue queue/kjuː//kjuː/- cue noun
- I took this as my cue to leave.
- queue noun
- There was a long queue at the coffee shop.
- queue verb
- I had to queue for ages before it was my turn.
Extra Examples- Her husband took his cue, and said that it was time for them to leave.
- This remark provided the cue for the crowd to start jeering.
- This was the cue for her to come into the room.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- visual
- wait for
- follow
- take
- …
- on cue
- cue for
- right on cue
- take your cue from somebody/something
Definitions on the go
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- cue (to do something) a few words or an action in a play that is a signal for another actor to do something
- She stood in the wings and waited for her cue to go on.
- He had not yet been given the cue to go on to the stage.
WordfinderTopics Film and theatreb2Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- visual
- wait for
- follow
- take
- …
- on cue
- cue for
- right on cue
- take your cue from somebody/something
- a long wooden stick with a leather tip, used for hitting the ball in the games of billiards, pool and snookerTopics Sports: other sportsc2
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 mid 16th cent.: of unknown origin. noun sense 3 mid 18th cent. (denoting a long plait or pigtail): variant of queue.
Idioms
See cue in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee cue in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English(right) on cue
- at exactly the moment you expect or that is appropriate
- ‘Where is that boy?’ As if on cue, Simon appeared in the doorway.
- I can't just cry on cue!
take your cue from somebody/something
- to copy what somebody else does as an example of how to behave or what to do
- Investors are taking their cue from the big banks and selling dollars.
- They all took their cue from their leader.
Check pronunciation:
cue