the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
"The beekeeper removed the old queen from the hive because she had stopped laying enough eggs to sustain the growing colony."
a female sovereign ruler
"The queen addressed the assembly to announce her decision on the new trade laws."
the wife or widow of a king
"After his passing, she was crowned queen as the widow of the late monarch."
something personified as a woman who is considered the best or most important of her kind
"Paris is the queen of cities"
"the queen of ocean liners"
a competitor who holds a preeminent position
"After dominating the tournament for years, she was crowned queen of the singles circuit before finally losing to an underdog in the final round."
one of four face cards in a deck bearing a picture of a queen
"She shuffled the deck until the king and queen ended up next to each other on top."
(chess) the most powerful piece
"After my knight was captured, I knew the game was lost because there were no other pieces left to protect my queen."
an especially large mole rat and the only member of a colony of naked mole rats to bear offspring which are sired by only a few males
"The newly crowned queen ruled over her vast underground kingdom, ensuring that every newborn in the colony carried genes from just two fatherly moles."
A female monarch. Example: Queen Victoria.
"The new queen gave a speech to celebrate her coronation."
In plain English: A queen is a female monarch who rules a country as its highest leader.
"The queen bee ruled over her hive with care."
Usage: Use "queen" to refer to a female monarch who rules a kingdom or empire, such as Queen Elizabeth II. Do not use this word for a king's wife unless she holds the specific title of queen consort in her own right.
promote to a queen, as of a pawn in chess
"After her opponent blundered into checkmate on the final move, she celebrated by promoting her last pawn to a queen."
To make a queen.
"The workers quickly filled the empty cell to make a new queen for the colony."
In plain English: To queen means to act like you are better than everyone else around you.
"The queen bee ruled over her hive with absolute authority."
Usage: To crown or install someone as a queen during a ceremony or in a story. Do not use this verb to describe making something like food or furniture.
A title given to queens.
"The royal guard stood at attention as the queen entered the throne room wearing her crown."
The word "queen" comes from the Old English cwēn, which originally meant "woman." It traveled into modern English with its current royal meaning, evolving from a general term for any female adult.