cue: Cue has several meanings in English, and it is not clear whether they can all be considered to be the same word. In the case of ‘pigtail’ and ‘billiard stick’, both of which appeared in the 18th century, cue is clearly just a variant spelling of queue, but although cue ‘actor’s prompt’ [16] has been referred by some to the same source (on the grounds that it represents the ‘tail’ – from French queue ‘tail’ – of the previous actor’s speech) there is no direct evidence for this.
Another suggestion is that it represents qu, an abbreviation of Latin quando ‘when’ which was written in actor’s scripts to remind them when to come in. => queue
cue (v.)
1928, from cue (n.1). Related: Cued, cueing.
cue (n.1)
"stage direction," 1550s, from Q, which was used 16c., 17c. in stage plays to indicate actors' entrances, probably as an abbreviation of Latin quando "when" (see quandary) or a similar Latin adverb. Shakespeare's printed texts have it as both Q and cue.
cue (n.2)
"billiard stick," 1749, variant of queue (n.). Cue ball first recorded 1881.
双语例句
1. That was Nicholas's cue to ask for another chocolate chip cookie.
那表示尼古拉斯还想要一块巧克力曲奇。
来自柯林斯例句
2. That was the cue for several months of intense bargaining.
那意味着几个月的激烈谈判开始了。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Kevin arrived right on cue to care for Harry.
凯文到的正是时候，可以照顾哈丽。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Jon's arrival was a cue for more champagne.
乔恩一来就意味着要喝更多的香槟酒了。
来自《权威词典》
5. When she coughs, it's my cue to come onto the stage.
