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# queer

«queer» in Mova's school dictionary: **Strange or odd: «a queer noise», «I feel queer» (unwell)** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

adjective (queer, queerer, queerest); noun (a queer — offensive); verb (queer — informal)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (old-fashioned) Strange or odd: «a queer noise», «I feel queer» (unwell). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/#m1)

2) (identity) Used by some people to describe themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or not fitting usual ideas of gender; this use is accepted by many today. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/#m2)

3) (offensive) For a long time it was used as an insult against gay people, and it can still hurt when used to mock someone. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/#m3)

4) (UK, informal, old) «Queer someone's pitch» means to spoil their plans. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In old books like Alice in Wonderland and The Wind in the Willows, «queer» simply means strange: Alice meets «a queer-looking party», and the animals hear queer sounds in the Wild Wood. Readers today should understand this old meaning. In modern life, be careful: only use it about people in the way they choose, never as an insult.

### examples

- «What a queer thing!» said Alice. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/#x1)
- They were a queer-looking party on the bank. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/#x2)
- The Mole heard a queer whistling in the Wild Wood. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/#x3)
- I feel a bit queer after that ride. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/#x4)
- It was a queer, foggy day. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/#x5)
- Some people describe themselves as queer, and we respect the words people choose for themselves. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/#x6)
- Just before they reached the town, they saw a queer sight. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/#x7)

### note

In old stories it means «strange»; in modern use it is about identity and can be hurtful if used as an insult. Old phrase: «queer as Dick's hatband» (very odd).

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «queer» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/Q/queer/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.