anything said or done, on or off stage, that is followed by a specific line or action

An off-stage door slam was his cue to enter.

anything that excites to action; stimulus.

a hint; intimation; guiding suggestion.

the part a person is to play; a prescribed or necessary course of action.

a sensory signal used to identify experiences, facilitate memory, or organize responses.

Archaic . frame of mind; mood.

to provide with a cue or indication; give a cue to; prompt

Will you cue me on my lines?

to insert, or direct to come in, in a specific place in a musical or dramatic performance (usually fol. by in or into )

to cue in a lighting effect.

to search for and reach (a specific track on a recording) (sometimes fol. by up ). ?

cue (someone) in, Informal . to inform; give instructions, information, news, etc.

to

Cue him in on the plans for the dance.

miss a cue

to fail to respond to a cue.

Informal . to miss the point

You could tell by his expression that he had missed a cue.

noun

catchword , clue , hint , hot lead , idea , indication , inkling , innuendo , in the wind , intimation , job , key , lead , mnemonic , nod , notion , prod , prompt , prompting , reminder , sign , suggestion , telltale * , tip-off , [[warningnotes:a queue is a line of people or vehicles waiting for something or an ordered list of tasks to be performed or messages to be transmitted; a cue is a signal or stimulus that helps to solve a problem or provides information about what to do - or a tapering rod used to strike a cue ball in pool or billiards]] , gesture , pigtail , queue , rod , signal , tip , warning , wink