What does queuing mean?
Queuing means waiting in an orderly line, especially for service, admission, or transport. The related verb describes people or vehicles forming or joining a line, and the noun names the activity or arrangement. In everyday British English, queuing is the usual term for what many Americans call lining up: at a shop, station, cinema, or ticket office. It is also used in more technical contexts to describe the process of placing requests, vehicles, jobs, or other items in a sequence so they can be handled in order. The word is more characteristic of British usage, though it is understood and used in American English in specialized settings such as computing, traffic management, and public services.
To form or join a line of people or vehicles waiting in order for service or access.
"They queued for tickets at the theatre entrance."
The spelling 'queuing' is standard British English, while 'queueing' is also widely accepted.
The process or arrangement of people, vehicles, or requests waiting in an orderly sequence.
"The queuing system caused a long delay at the border crossing."
In transport and computing contexts, this may refer specifically to an ordered sequence of vehicles, tasks, or data requests.
From the French word for a tail, 'queue' grew into the familiar British term for a line, while the spelling with two 'u's keeps that history visible.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does queuing come from?
The word comes through French queue, meaning 'tail', from Latin cauda, also meaning 'tail'. In French, queue came to refer to a line of people or vehicles because the line extends like a tail. English borrowed the noun in the 18th century and later developed the verb and the gerund form 'queuing'.
Related word forms
How queuing is actually used
In ordinary British English, 'queuing' is standard, and 'queueing' is also common. American English normally uses 'lining up' or 'standing in line' for physical lines, although 'queue' and 'queuing' occur in technical, transportation, and institutional contexts.
Easily confused with queuing
Both spellings are accepted, but 'queuing' is the traditional British spelling, while 'queueing' is a common alternative and is especially frequent in technical and international usage.