cue
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Properly the last word spoken by one actor, it being the CUE for the other to reply. "Very often an actor knows nothing of a piece beyond his own lines and the CUES."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “cue” mean?
Properly the last word spoken by one actor, it being the CUE for the other to reply. "Very often an actor knows nothing of a piece beyond his own lines and the CUES."
Is “cue” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.