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Original · left

Queue (line)

A physical line of people, vehicles, or items awaiting their turn for service.

First in use: the 1830s
Duplicate · right

Queue (data structure)

A First-In, First-Out (FIFO) sequential data structure where incoming elements enter at the rear and exit from the front.

First in use: the 1950s

Queue / Queue (line) / Queue (data structure)

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Waiting in line vs. FIFO.

Which meaning of Queue is the original, and which one is the duplicate riding on its name? Queue (line) came first (the 1830s). Queue (data structure) arrived in the 1950s. The data below shows which one owns the word now.

Wikipedia pageviews since 2015

Queue (line)Queue (data structure)
English Wikipedia pageviews since July 2015 load here.

Duplicate's share of attention

Green line = duplicate's % · above 60 it owns the word · below 40 the original does

Share-of-attention line loads here.

The case for each meaning

Sourced definitions, usage stats and quotes

Original · the 1830s

Queue (line)

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Duplicate · the 1950s

Queue (data structure)

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More duplicated terms

Programming & software