queue

noun

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, less common in North America) A line of people, vehicles or other objects, usually one to be dealt with in sequence (i.e., the one at the front end is dealt with first, the one behind is dealt with next, and so on), and which newcomers join at the opposite end (the back).

A waiting list or other means of organizing people or objects into a first-come-first-served order.

(computing) A data structure in which objects are added to one end, called the tail, and removed from the other, called the head (in the case of a FIFO queue). The term can also refer to a LIFO queue or stack where these ends coincide.

(heraldry) An animal's tail.

(now historical) A men's hairstyle with a braid or ponytail at the back of the head, such as that worn by men in Imperial China.

verb

(intransitive) To put oneself or itself at the end of a waiting line.

(intransitive) To arrange themselves into a physical waiting queue.

(computing, transitive) To add to a queue data structure.

To fasten the hair into a queue.

Roots

caudaqueue- · Latin · tail

Synonyms for queue

linen

Words related to queue

dequeue enqueue waitsv waitingn rowsn outwait backlogn waitedv throngn impatientlyadv stackn callbackn

Synonyms & related words for queue

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of queue — including line. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to queue

Explore words related to queue — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include dequeue, enqueue, waits, waiting, rows, outwait, backlog, waited. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for queue

Common synonyms for queue include line — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does queue come from?

The word queue breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root queue-, from Latin cauda (“tail”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.