Search results for 'queen':

queen noun 1 a a woman who rules a country, having inherited her position by birth; b (in full queen consort) the wife of a king; c (usually Queen) the title applied to someone who holds either of these positions and which is usually followed by a designated first name or by the name of the country she rules • Queen Elizabeth I • Mary Queen of Scots. 2 a woman, place or thing considered supreme in some way • queen of people's hearts • queen of European cities. 3 a large fertile female ant, bee or wasp that lays eggs. 4 chess a piece that is able to move forwards, backwards, sideways or diagonally, making it the most powerful piece on the board. 5 cards any of the four high-ranking face cards that have a picture of a queen on them. 6 a derog an effeminate male homosexual; b gay a male homosexual who likes to camp it up. 7 (usually the Queen) Brit colloq the national anthem when a woman is on the throne • Remember when the Queen was played in cinemas? verb (queened, queening) 1 chess a to advance (a pawn) to the opponent's side of the board and convert it into a queen; b intrans said of a pawn: to reach the opponent's side of the board and so be converted into a queen. 2 to make (a woman) queen. queendom noun. queenlike adj. queenship noun. queen it colloq said of a woman: to behave overbearingly.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon cwene a woman.