queue

The word “queue” means a line of people or vehicles waiting their turn, served in the order they arrived. In plain terms, a line you wait in, or a list of things waiting to be dealt with in order.

“Queue” is pronounced kyoo (/kju/ in IPA).

Here is “queue” used in a sentence: “There was a long queue outside the bakery before it even opened.”

Depending on how it is used, “queue” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “queue” comes from Old French. From Old French cöe/cue, "tail" — the same idea survives in the sense of a line of people trailing off like a tail.

“Queue” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Queue” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a line of people or vehicles waiting their turn, served in the order they arrived.

"Queue" and "line" both describe people or vehicles waiting their turn in order, but "queue" is the standard British English term while "line" is more common in American English. They refer to the same concept.

A queue is a line of people or items waiting in the order they arrived, often served in real time, such as people waiting outside a shop. A waitlist is typically a recorded list of names waiting for an opening, such as a spot in a class, and doesn't necessarily involve physically waiting in one place.

In computing, a queue is a data structure that holds items to be processed in order, usually on a first-in-first-out basis. This mirrors the everyday meaning of people waiting their turn, but applies to data or tasks instead.

As a verb, "queue" can mean to physically line up and wait for a turn, or to add an item to a waiting list or processing order, as in "queue the file for printing." The phrase "queue up" is also commonly used for lining up.