Queue: meaning, definitions and examples

Commonly used in British English to refer to a line of people or vehicles waiting their turn for something. It can also refer to tasks waiting to be processed in a system.

• He waited in the queue for his turn at the bakery.
• There's a long queue of emails to respond to.

Primarily used in American English to describe a line of people or things waiting. It can also imply an order or sequence of things.

• She stood in line for the movie tickets.
• The waiters formed a line to serve the guests.

Often refers to a group of people or things placed in a line for identification or inspection. It can also mean a list of items or participants in an event.

• The police asked him to join the lineup for identification.
• The band's lineup for the concert tonight includes three famous artists.

Usually refers to things placed in a horizontal line, often used for objects rather than people. Can also be used more abstractly for sequences of things.

• She planted a row of tulips in the garden.
• He arranged the chairs in neat rows for the presentation.

This term is commonly used in British English and refers to a group of people waiting their turn. It can also apply to a sequence of items in a particular order, such as tasks.

• I had to wait in a long queue at the grocery store.
• There’s a queue of documents waiting to be printed.

This term often refers to a scheduled group of events or participants. It can be used for people waiting in an orderly line, but it's less common in casual conversation.

• The festival’s music line-up is incredible this year.
• Everyone had to line-up to receive their tickets.

This is a common expression in American English referring to the act of waiting for your turn in a line.

• Students wait in line for lunch every day.
• Shoppers had to wait in line for the Black Friday sale.

Primarily used in American English, this phrase refers to people physically standing in a sequential order, waiting for their turn.

• We had to stand in line for hours to get concert tickets.
• You need to stand in line at the DMV to renew your license.