queen
queen Lexical Profile
queen Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A female monarch who rules a kingdom in her own right, or the wife or widow of a reigning king.
"The queen addressed the nation from the palace balcony during the jubilee celebrations."
A woman or thing regarded as the finest, most eminent, or most successful in a particular sphere or group.
"She was widely celebrated as the undisputed queen of jazz vocals throughout the mid-twentieth century."
The most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of unobstructed squares in any direction vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
"By sacrificing his bishop, the grandmaster trapped his opponent's queen in the center of the board."
A reproductive female in a colony of social insects, such as bees, ants, or termites, typically the only individual capable of laying fertile eggs.
"Worker bees instinctively gather around the queen to regulate the temperature of the hive and feed her royal jelly."
A playing card bearing a representation of a female monarch, normally ranking immediately below the king and above the jack.
"He won the final hand of the tournament by drawing the queen of spades."
• verb
To promote a pawn to a queen upon reaching the opponent's back rank (in the game of chess).
"With no pieces blocking the file, she advanced her passed pawn and queened it on the fortieth move."
To act or comport oneself like a queen, especially in a haughty, imperious, or commanding manner.
"She queened it over her younger siblings whenever their parents left her in charge for the evening."
• Rhymes for queen
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'cwen', meaning 'queen, female ruler of a state, or woman', ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gwen-, meaning 'woman' (which also gave rise to the Greek 'gyne').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.