queue (queues plural & 3rd person present) (queuing present participle) (queued past tense & past participle )
queueing can also be used as the continuous form.
1 n-count A queue is a line of people or vehicles that are waiting for something.
(mainly BRIT) oft N for n, N of n
I watched as he got a tray and joined the queue..., She waited in the bus queue...
in AM, usually use line
2 n-count If you say there is a queueof people who want to do or have something, you mean that a lot of people are waiting for an opportunity to do it or have it.
(mainly BRIT) usu sing, oft N of n
Manchester United would be at the front of a queue of potential buyers...
in AM, usually use line
3 verb When people queue, they stand in a line waiting for something.
(mainly BRIT)
I had to queue for quite a while. V
...a line of women queueing for bread. V for n
Queue up means the same as queue., phrasal verb
A mob of journalists are queuing up at the gate to photograph him... V P
We all had to queue up for our ration books. V P for n
in AM, usually use line up
4 n-count A queue is a list of computer tasks which will be done in order. (COMPUTING)
Your print job has been sent to the network print queue.
5 verb To queue a number of computer tasks means to arrange them to be done in order. (COMPUTING) queue up phrasal verb If you say that people are queuing upto do or have something, you mean that a lot of them want the opportunity to do it or have it. (mainly BRIT) usu cont People are queueing up to work for me!... V P to-inf There are a growing number of countries queueing up for membership. V P for n in AM, usually use line up →
queue 3
dole queue (dole queues plural )When people talk about thedole queue, they are talking about the state of being unemployed, especially when saying how many people are unemployed.
(BRIT) n-count
Another 29,100 people have joined the dole queue.
in AM, usually use unemployment line
queue-jumping
If you accuse someone of queue-jumping, you mean that they are trying to get to the front of a queue or waiting list unfairly.
(BRIT) n-uncount
(disapproval)
...queue-jumping within the National Health Service.
