Word
que
Phoneticsque
/ˈkju/
Definitions
01barbeque
n. a short way of writing 'barbeque' — food cooked over a fire or the party where it is served.
n. a clipping of 'barbeque', referring to the cooking method, the food produced, or the social event.
“We are heading to a backyard que this weekend for some grilled ribs.”
“The local competition for the best smoked que attracted pitmasters from across the state, each claiming a secret sauce recipe.”
Informal · American English
Usage
Often used in restaurant names or casual event invitations.
Synonyms
02a line of people
n. an informal way to spell 'queue' — a line of people waiting for something.
n. an alternative spelling of 'queue', denoting a sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn.
“The que for the new movie was so long that we decided to go home.”
“Digital platforms often place users in a virtual que during high-traffic ticket releases to prevent server crashes.”
Informal · Dialect
Pitfall
I stood in the que for an hour.
I stood in the queue for an hour.
In formal writing, always use the full spelling 'queue'.
Teaching tip
This spelling is common in South Asian English and internet shorthand but is considered a misspelling in standard British or American professional contexts.
Etymology
Borrowed both from Hokkien 郭 (Keh) and Catalan Qué. Doublet of Quek, Guo, and Kwok.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/que