q

The seventeenth letter of the English alphabet and the thirteenth consonant, almost always followed by the letter 'u' in native English words to represent the voiceless velar plosive /k/ combined with the semivowel /w/, as in 'queen'. As a grapheme, 'Q' is one of the least frequently used letters in English. Its shape is a circle with a diagonal tail descending below the baseline. It functions as an abbreviation for question, quart, quarter, and the seventeenth item in a sequence, as well as a designation in card games and physics.

• 🇵🇹Décima sétima letra do alfabeto inglês, uma consoante. Quase sempre é seguida pela letra 'u' em palavras inglesas, formando o som /kw/. É uma das letras mais raras do idioma. Usada como abreviação de pergunta, quarto, rainha (no baralho) e carga elétrica na física.

1. The seventeenth letter of the English alphabet A1 formal

   The uppercase or lowercase character (Q, q) that constitutes the seventeenth symbol in the Latin-based English alphabet, classified as a consonant. It is unique for its invariable pairing with 'u' in native English words, producing the /kw/ sound. It is the second least common letter in English. Its name, 'cue', is a homophone of the word for a signal to begin.

   • The word 'queen' begins with the letter Q.
   • In English, Q is almost always followed by the letter U.
   • The lowercase q has a tail that drops below the line.
   • Qatar and Iraq are countries whose names contain Q without a following U.
   • The letter Q is worth 10 points in Scrabble.

   🇵🇹Décima sétima letra do alfabeto inglês

2. An abbreviation for question A1 informal

   The letter Q used as a common abbreviation for 'question' in written contexts. It frequently appears in FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), Q&A sessions, tests, and quizzes. Paired with A for Answer, the Q&A format is a staple of interviews, instructions, and knowledge bases.

   • Please hold all your Qs until the end of the presentation.
   • The FAQ section on the website answered all my Qs.
   • The Q&A after the lecture was very insightful.
   • We ran out of time for the final Q.
   • The game show host read out the next Q.

   🇵🇹Pergunta (abreviação)

3. The queen in card games or chess A2 informal sport

   The letter Q used as the standard abbreviation for the Queen in playing cards and chess notation. In a deck of cards, the Queen is a face card ranking between the Jack and King, often depicted as a regal female figure. In chess, Q is the most powerful piece on the board, capable of moving any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

   • She played the Q of hearts to win the trick.
   • In chess notation, Q to h5 can be a quick checkmate threat.
   • A royal flush is A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit.
   • The queen is more valuable than a rook, so she sacrificed the Q.
   • He drew the Q of clubs from the top of the deck.

   🇵🇹Dama, rainha (em jogos)

4. A symbol for electric charge in physics C1 formal scientific

   The lowercase or uppercase letter Q used as the standard symbol to denote electric charge in physics and electrical engineering, measured in coulombs (C). The charge of a single proton is +e, and a single electron is -e, but for macroscopic amounts, Q represents the total net charge. It is central to equations in electrostatics and circuit theory.

   • The formula I = Q/t relates current, charge, and time.
   • The capacitor stored a charge Q of 5 microcoulombs.
   • Coulomb's law gives the force between two point charges Q1 and Q2.
   • The net charge Q on the object was found to be positive.
   • Calculate the total charge Q passing through the wire per second.

   🇵🇹Carga elétrica (física)

5. An abbreviation for quart or quarter B2 informal american

   The letter Q used as an informal abbreviation for the unit of volume 'quart' or the fraction 'quarter'. A quart is a liquid measure equal to 2 pints or roughly 0.946 liters. A quarter represents one-fourth of a whole, commonly used for time divisions (financial quarters) or fractional amounts in recipes and measurements.

   • The recipe calls for one Q of milk.
   • Company earnings were up in Q3 of this year.
   • He ran a quarter of a mile, often written as a Q-mile.
   • She poured exactly one Q of oil into the engine.
   • Fiscal year Q1 starts in October for this organization.

   🇵🇹Quarto ou quarta parte (abreviação)