# queen

/ˈkwin/ (US) · /kwˈiːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/queen
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. female monarch

noun · CEFR A2

a woman who rules a country because she belongs to a royal family, or the wife of a king.

For teachers: a female sovereign or the consort of a reigning king.

- The queen waved to the crowds from the balcony of the palace.
- Following the king's death, the queen dowager maintained significant influence over the royal court during her son's minority.

### 2. chess piece

noun · CEFR B1

the most powerful piece in the game of chess.

For teachers: the most versatile and powerful piece in chess, capable of moving any number of squares in any direction.

- He moved his queen across the board to put the king in check.
- Sacrificing the queen is a risky strategy that only experienced players usually attempt during high-stakes tournaments.

### 3. insect

noun · CEFR B2

a large female insect, like a bee or ant, that lays all the eggs for the group.

For teachers: the single reproductive female in a colony of social insects such as bees, ants, or termites.

- The worker bees spend their whole lives protecting the queen.
- If the queen dies without a successor, the entire hive may become disorganized and eventually perish.

### 4. drag queen

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a person, usually a man, who dresses in bright, beautiful clothes and makeup to perform.

For teachers: an entertainer, typically a man, who adopts a flamboyant feminine persona and costume for performance.

- The queen performed a famous pop song at the club last night.
- The local drag queen is known for her sharp wit and elaborate handmade gowns that take weeks to construct.

### 6. playing card

noun · CEFR A2

a playing card with a picture of a queen on it.

For teachers: a playing card bearing the representation of a queen, ranking between the jack and the king.

- I have the queen of hearts in my hand.
- She needed the queen of spades to complete her sequence, but her opponent had already discarded it.

### 7. chess promotion

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to turn a pawn into a queen when it reaches the end of the board.

For teachers: to promote a pawn to the rank of queen upon reaching the opponent's eighth rank.

- If you get your pawn to the last row, you can queen it.
- The grandmaster managed to queen his passed pawn, effectively ending the match in three more moves.

## Examples

- The queen waved to the crowd from the balcony.
- After the king died without a son, his eldest daughter was crowned queen of the small nation.
- While the role of a constitutional queen is largely ceremonial, she remains a powerful symbol of national continuity and historical identity during times of political transition.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.