cue
gb/kjˈu/ us/kjˈu/
B1
Inglés
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
B2
abstract
1
a signal to do something
A cue is something that tells you it is time to do something.
Patrón de uso:
a cue (for [someone]) to do [something]
Error frecuente:
Do not confuse cue (a signal) with queue (a line of people).
Sinónimos
signal (More general; cue often implies timing or prompting.)
|
prompt (Emphasizes encouraging someone to act or remember.)
|
hint (Suggests indirectly rather than clearly signaling.)
Colocaciones
a cue to start
|a cue to speak
|a clear cue
|a subtle cue
|a visual cue
|a verbal cue
|a cue for action
|a cue for someone
|take a cue
Temas
communication
|work
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- When the lights dim, that’s our cue to take our seats.
- She waited for a cue from her manager before speaking.
- His yawn was a cue that the meeting should end soon.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The bell was my cue to go inside.
- I looked for a cue to start.
Verbo
B2
action
2
give a signal to someone
To cue someone is to signal them to start or do something.
Patrón de uso:
cue [someone] (to do [something]); cue [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use 'queue' as a verb here; the correct verb for giving a signal is cue.
Sinónimos
prompt (Focuses on helping someone remember what to do.)
|
signal (More general; cue often implies coordinated timing.)
Colocaciones
cue someone to speak
|cue someone to enter
|cue the actors
|cue the music
|cue a change
|cue a reaction
Temas
communication
|work
|performing_arts
Ejemplos
- The director cued the actor to walk on stage.
- I nodded to cue him to continue.
- The host cued the band for the final song.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She cued me to start talking.
Sustantivo
B1
entity
3
stick used in pool
A cue is the stick you use to hit the ball in pool.
Patrón de uso:
a cue; a [pool/snooker] cue
Error frecuente:
Do not confuse cue (the stick) with queue (a line).
Sinónimos
cue stick (More explicit; common in American English.)
Colocaciones
pool cue
|snooker cue
|a cue stick
|a cue case
|a cue tip
|hold a cue
|chalk a cue
|lean on a cue
|buy a cue
Temas
sports
|leisure
Ejemplos
- He chalked his cue before taking the shot.
- She bought a new cue for league night.
- Don’t swing the cue too hard or you’ll scratch.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I need a cue to play pool.
Sustantivo
B2
rule
4
actor’s timing signal or line
In a show, a cue tells you when to start your part.
Patrón de uso:
miss a cue; take a cue; on a cue
Error frecuente:
A 'cue' is the signal/line; a 'line' can also mean the spoken words themselves.
Sinónimos
prompt (Often specifically help for remembering words or actions.)
|
signal (Broader; cue is often tied to exact timing.)
Colocaciones
stage cue
|lighting cue
|sound cue
|a cue line
|miss a cue
|pick up a cue
|wait for your cue
|give someone a cue
|take your cue
Temas
performing_arts
|media
Ejemplos
- Her cue is the moment he says, 'I can’t stay.'
- The lighting operator missed the cue and the stage stayed dark.
- The drummer watched for the conductor’s cue.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- That line is my cue to enter.
Sustantivo
B2
entity
5
a stimulus that helps you respond
A cue can be something that helps you remember or understand what to do.
Patrón de uso:
[something] is a cue for [something]; cues to [something]
Error frecuente:
In this sense, cue is often paired with adjectives like visual, social, or contextual.
Sinónimos
clue (More common in everyday speech; cue often emphasizes prompting a response.)
|
signal (Can be physical or informational; cue is often smaller or subtler.)
Colocaciones
contextual cue
|social cue
|visual cue
|auditory cue
|memory cue
|a cue for danger
|pick up on cues
|read the cues
|respond to cues
Temas
psychology
|learning
|health
Ejemplos
- Her tone of voice was a cue that she was joking.
- Smells can be powerful cues for memory.
- He missed the social cues and kept talking too long.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- His face was a cue that he was angry.
Sustantivo
technical
C1
entity
6
short sound/image used for timing
A cue can be a short signal used in TV, radio, or music to show when something should start.
Patrón de uso:
a cue for [something]; a cue to [do something]
Error frecuente:
In production contexts, 'cue' may refer to the signal itself, not the whole song or clip.
Sinónimos
cueing signal (More explicit; used in technical contexts.)
Colocaciones
audio cue
|video cue
|cue track
|cue tone
|cue point
|timing cue
|a cue to roll
|a cue to fade
|a cue to cut
Temas
media
|technology
|music
Ejemplos
- The producer gave a cue to roll the clip.
- A loud beep served as the cue for the commercial break.
- The editor added an audio cue for the transition.
Verbo
technical
C1
action
7
set up audio/video to start
To cue a track is to prepare it so it can start at the right time.
Patrón de uso:
cue [something] (to/at [a point])
Error frecuente:
In everyday English, people more often say 'cue up' than 'cue' alone for this meaning.
Sinónimos
ready (More general; does not imply setting an exact start point.)
|
line up (Common in informal production talk; less precise than cue.)
Colocaciones
cue a track
|cue a song
|cue the next clip
|cue the video
|cue at the start
|cue to the chorus
|cue to a timecode
Temas
music
|media
|technology
Ejemplos
- The DJ cued the next track and waited for the drop.
- Cue the video to 00:45 before the meeting starts.
- She cued the clip to the exact frame where he enters.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
cue
AFI
GB/kjˈu/
US/kjˈu/
Sílabas y acento
cue (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (cue)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: cue
- Plural: cues
Verb
- Base: cue
- 3rd Person Singular: cues
- Present Participle: cueing, cuing
- Past: cued
- Past Participle: cued
Familia de palabras
Forms
cues
noun
cueing
verb
cuing
verb
cued
verb
Expresiones
cue in
1/kjˈu ˈɪn/
phrasal verb
add someone to a conversation
To cue someone in is to tell them what is happening so they can join in.
Ejemplos
- Can you cue me in on what I missed in the meeting?
- They forgot to cue her in, so she didn’t know the plan had changed.
- I’ll cue you in once I hear back from legal.
cue someone in on
1/kjˈu sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɪn ˈɔn/
fixed phrase
inform someone about something
To cue someone in on something is to explain it to them so they know what is going on.
Ejemplos
- Cue me in on the client’s main concerns before the call.
- She cued him in on the new schedule.
- They cued the interns in on the office rules.
cue the music
1/kjˈu ðə mjˈuzɪk/
fixed phrase
start the music at a moment
Cue the music means start the music now (sometimes said as a joke).
Ejemplos
- Cue the music, and bring the lights up slowly.
- He started telling his sad story—cue the music.
- Cue the music as soon as the host says our name.
cue up
1/kjˈu ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
prepare to play or show
To cue up something is to get it ready to start.
Ejemplos
- Cue up the next slide while I answer questions.
- She cued the song up and waited for the countdown.
- Can you cue up the video at the two-minute mark?
on cue
1/ˈɔn kjˈu/
fixed phrase
exactly at the right time
If something happens on cue, it happens at the exact planned time.
Ejemplos
- The fireworks began on cue as the music reached the finale.
- On cue, the child started crying when the camera turned on.
- The curtain rose on cue.
right on cue
1/ɹˈaɪt ˈɔn kjˈu/
fixed phrase
exactly when expected
Right on cue means exactly at the perfect time.
Ejemplos
- Right on cue, the power went out during the storm.
- She walked in right on cue, just as we mentioned her name.
- The dog barked right on cue when the doorbell rang.
take your cue from
1/tˈeɪk jˈʊɹ kjˈu fɹˈʌm/
fixed phrase
follow someone’s example
To take your cue from someone means to do what they do or what they suggest.
Ejemplos
- I took my cue from my supervisor and kept my comments brief.
- Take your cue from the locals and dress more warmly.
- The team took its cue from the captain’s calm attitude.