cue1

 
Pronunciation: /kjuː/

noun

  • 1a thing said or done that serves as a signal to an actor or other performer to enter or to begin their speech or performance: she had not yet been given her cue to come out on to the dais
  • a signal for action: his success was the cue for the rest of Fleet Street to forge ahead
  • a circumstance or piece of information which 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
  • 2 [mass noun] 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]
  • 1give a cue to or for: Ros and Guil, cued by Hamlet, also bow deeply
  • act as a prompt or reminder: have a list of needs and questions on paper to cue you
  • 2set a piece of audio or video equipment in readiness to play (a particular part of the recorded material): there was a pause while she cued up the next tape

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

Spelling help

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).