Skip to main content
queen

queen

60 5.9
The main female in an insect or mole rat colony that produces young
  • noun
  • /kwin/
  • Specialized
translation icon : reina
  • As a population of bees have their Queens, so too these beasts.
  • queen bee
  • queen ant
  • queens and workers

As a population of bees have their Queens, so too these beasts.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The colony of ants thrives under the guidance of a strong queen who lays thousands of eggs.

  • The first involved is our soon to be queen leaf cutter Ant.

  • When I find a queen in need of protection, I'll let you know.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • So I left some queen cells for them to hatch and kept.

  • The queen laid her eggs.

  • So chances are they may have killed their queen or they may be preparing for next year, next season.

  • A queen... ...who directs the worker ants.

  • Pheromones control how the queens reproduce; they also control whether workers accept their queens.

    Academic text (1994)
  • In a beehive, the workers feed and protect the queen to ensure the colony's survival.

  • The queen in a naked mole rat colony is the only female that reproduces, maintaining the group's population.

Idioms

9.9

Words people say to show relief or that something no longer matters

Compounds

drama queen
  • Offensive
25 7.1

A person who often reacts to small problems in a very emotional way

A woman who is the official ruler of England

queen bee
  • Informal
5 5.8

A woman who is most influential in a social group

5 3.2

A bed or mattress size larger than a double and smaller than a king, about 60 by 80 inches

4 9.9

An insulting name for a woman said to unfairly take government money, often used to express racist ideas

ice queen
  • Offensive
3 8.5

A woman who seems cold and not open about her feelings

queen mother
  • Formal
3 6.1

The mother of the current king or queen who keeps the title after her child becomes ruler

2 3.0

A bed or mattress larger than a double and smaller than a king

A wild plant with many thin leaves and groups of small white flowers like a carrot that grows in fields

1 3.4

A fertile female bee in a hive that lays all the eggs

coupon queen
  • Informal
1 6.7

A woman who finds and uses coupons to save money

1 8.8

A girl chosen to lead a May Day festival and represent spring

A climbing cactus with large fragrant flowers that open at night

Queen of Sheba
  • Literature
1 8.2

A famous queen known for her wisdom and great wealth who visited King Solomon

1 9.6

A girl chosen to lead May Day celebrations wearing a crown of flowers

size queen
  • Slang
1 9.9

A person who prefers larger sizes when buying things like bags or TVs

9.9

An insulting word for a man who hides that he is gay

complain queen
  • Informal
9.5

A woman or girl who often says she is unhappy about small things

faux queen
  • Neologism
9.9

A woman who pretends to be a queen but has no real royal title

hangar queen
  • Jargon
9.9

An aircraft that stays on the ground because it needs frequent repairs

A royal woman from ancient Nubia or a woman seen as strong, proud, and beautiful

queen consort
  • Formal
6.4

A woman who is the wife of a king but does not rule

queen dowager
  • Formal
8.4

A king's widow who keeps the title of queen after his death

A long bay of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia, Canada

A nickname for Charlotte, the biggest city in North Carolina

queen post
  • Specialized
9.0

A vertical support between the main roof beams that holds the middle of the roof

A woman who rules a country because the king cannot, often until the heir is old enough

A woman who rules a country because she inherited the throne

queen triggerfish
  • Specialized
9.9

A brightly colored tropical fish with a deep body and long spines on its top fin, often near coral reefs

A region of Antarctica claimed by Norway between Enderby Land and the Weddell Sea

queen mole rat
  • Specialized
9.2

A larger female in a colony of naked mole rats who is the only one to have babies

queen of beasts
  • Literature
8.4

A lion or lioness people see as very strong and noble

A female model who appears at car races to pose and promote teams

A person who currently holds the title of a beauty contest

9.9

A woman chosen at a farm fair to represent and support rice farmers

sea queen
  • Literature
9.9

A woman who leads pirates at sea, often in old Viking stories

slay queen
  • South African
9.9

A woman who wears bold clothes and shows great confidence

snow queen
  • Offensive
8.2

A woman who seems emotionally cold, often a very skilled ice skater

How Fertile

queen
  • Specialized
60 5.9
female
611 1.0
worker
  • Specialized
54 4.5

Surface Forms

queen singular
queens plural

Etymology

The word queen for insects or mole rats comes from the same old English cwen 'woman' and is used for the main female who lays eggs, so a queen is the leading reproductive female of the colony.