cue1

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noun

• a thing said or done that serves as a signal to an actor or other performer to enter or to begin their speech or performance.
• a signal for action:any conversational lull was my cue for asking a question
• a piece of information or circumstance that aids the memory in retrieving details not recalled spontaneously.
• Psychology a feature of something perceived that is used in the brain’s interpretation of the perception:expectancy is communicated both by auditory and visual cues
• a hint or indication about how to behave in particular circumstances:my teacher joked about such attitudes and I followed her cue
• a facility for playing through an audio or video recording very rapidly until a desired starting point is reached.

verb (cues, cueing or cuing, cued)

[with object]

• give a cue to or for:curious pedestrians are cued by the arrival of stretch limousines
• act as a prompt or reminder:have a list of needs and questions on paper to cue you
• set a piece of audio or video equipment in readiness to play (a particular part of the recorded material):features make it easier to cue up a tape for editing

Phrases

on cue

at the correct moment:right on cue the door opened

take one's cue from

follow the example or advice of:McGee did not move and Julia took her cue from him

Origin:

mid 16th century: of unknown origin

Cueing is usually spelled with an e, although cuing is also correct.Do not confuse cue with queue. Cue means 'a signal for action' (the announcement was a cue for the crowd to gather) or 'a long wooden rod', whereas queue means 'a line of people or vehicles' (I joined the end of the queue).