cue

cue — noun

1. a word, action, or sound in a play, film, or live show that tells a performer wh

1.nounB1
Definition

a word, action, or sound in a play, film, or live show that tells a performer when to start speaking or doing something.

Example

The actor stood behind the curtain, waiting for her cue to step into the spotlight.

cue + to-infinitive for intended action

When the music stopped, that was the cue for the dancers to freeze in place.

cue + for + noun + to-infinitive

Common collocations
  • miss your cue
  • wait for your cue
  • give someone a cue
  • take your cue
Synonyms
  • signal

    more general; cue is a specific type of signal tied to performance timing

  • prompt

    often refers to reminding an actor of forgotten lines rather than signalling a start

Grammar Patterns

cue + to-infinitive

cue + for + noun + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Theatre and film performers rely on spoken lines, sound effects, or lighting changes as cues. Missing a cue causes an awkward pause on stage.

Common Mistakes

The actor waited for his queue.
The actor waited for his cue.
'cue' and 'queue' sound the same but 'queue' means a line of people.

2. something — a look, a sound, or a change in a situation — that tells a person it

2.nounB1
Definition

something — a look, a sound, or a change in a situation — that tells a person it is the right moment to start doing something.

Example

The dinner bell was the cue for the children to wash their hands and sit at the table.

cue + for + noun + to-infinitive

When the teacher closed her book, that was the cue for the class to pack up.

Common collocations
  • take something as a cue
  • be a cue for
  • serve as a cue
  • use something as a cue
Synonyms
  • signal

    nearly identical, though 'signal' can be more deliberate or technical

  • sign

    slightly broader — a sign can be any indicator, not necessarily one that prompts action

  • prompt

    focuses on causing or reminding someone to act, often verbally

Grammar Patterns

cue + to-infinitive

cue + for + noun + to-infinitive

Usage Note

This sense works in everyday life for any situation where one event signals that another should follow. Frequently appears with 'take…as a cue' or 'be the cue for'.

Common Mistakes

I took his yawn as a queue that the meeting was boring.
I took his yawn as a cue that the meeting was boring.
'cue' means signal; 'queue' means a line.

3. a long, thin stick, usually made of wood with a leather tip at one end, used to

3.nounB1
Definition

a long, thin stick, usually made of wood with a leather tip at one end, used to push or hit the ball in games such as billiards, pool, and snooker.

Example

Felipe carefully aimed the cue and struck the white ball into the red ones.

A good pool player keeps the tip of the cue smooth and dusted with chalk.

collocation: cue tip / cue chalk

Common collocations
  • cue ball
  • cue tip
  • cue stick
  • aim the cue
  • chalk the cue
Synonyms
  • cue stick

    full form, used for clarity

  • pool cue

    specifically for pool, not snooker or billiards

Usage Note

Also called a 'cue stick'. In pool halls and snooker clubs, the cue is a personal item that players often own and maintain themselves. The word 'cue' in this sense has a different origin from the theatre sense — it comes from French 'queue' meaning 'tail'.

Common Mistakes

He hit the ball with a queue.
He hit the ball with a cue.
'cue' is the stick; 'queue' is a line of people.
Idioms

on cue

idiom

happening at exactly the moment you would most expect, often just after someone has mentioned it.

Right on cue, the bus arrived the second Kabir reached the bus stop.

Defne said it would rain at noon, and right on cue the sky opened up.

take your cue from

idiom

to watch how another person behaves or what they say, and use that as a guide for your own actions.

The younger staff took their cue from the team leader and began working more quietly.

Élise took her cue from the people around her and stood up when the judge entered the room.

(right) on cue

idiom

Happening exactly when expected or needed.

The rain started right on cue as we left the house.

Did the actor enter on cue during the play?

take your cue from somebody/something

idiom

To use someone or something as a model for your own actions or decisions.

Maya took her cue from her older sister and studied hard.

The team took their cue from the coach's calm attitude.

cue — verb

Word family

  • cue ball
    nounB2
  • cue stick
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words describe something that conveys information, but they differ in timing and purpose. A 'cue' is specifically something that tells you to start an action — it has a triggering function. A 'signal' is the closest synonym and can be used almost interchangeably, though 'signal' often implies a deliberate sign (a whistle, a waved flag) whereas a 'cue' can be accidental. A 'sign' is broader: it can be any piece of evidence or marker (dark clouds are a sign of rain, but not a cue to act). A 'prompt' focuses on reminding someone of what to say next, especially in performance or conversation. An 'indication' is the weakest and most general — it suggests something is likely true but does not necessarily demand action. Example: 'The applause was a cue for the singer to return to the stage.' Here, 'cue' is the best choice because the applause pushes the singer to act. A 'signal' would also work, but 'sign' or 'indication' would sound too passive.

signal ↗sign ↗prompt ↗indication ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'cue' in its theatre sense (16th century) may come from the letter 'Q', used in old play scripts as a short form of Latin 'quando' meaning 'when' — it marked the moment an actor should speak. The billiards sense (18th century) has a separate origin: it comes from French 'queue' meaning 'tail', because the stick resembles a tail. Both words arrived in English at different times and through different routes, but they are now spelled the same way.