Queening

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process where a queen bee produces eggs to sustain the hive ; the strategic move in chess where the queen attacks to threaten checkmate
2. When the queen bee deposits eggs for colony growth ; a chess tactic involving the queen placing the opponent's king in a vulnerable position
3. An occurrence in beekeeping involving egg-laying by the queen ; in chess, an offensive play by the queen aimed at forcing the king into checkmate

Etymology: "Queening" is a verb form, the present participle or gerund of "queen," so its history is that of "queen" itself, with a Middle English twist. The Middle English dictionary records a noun "quenynges," a plural form built on "quene," meaning "queen," and the etymology is considered likely rather than certain. In that older sense, the plural noun referred to what appears to be a queen's own thing, and the derivation from "quene" is the reading that holds up. The verb sense we use now is much newer. In beekeeping, "queening" describes the queen bee laying eggs, a process that shows the queen's central role in the hive. In chess, the same root gives "queening" in the sense of a pawn being promoted to a queen upon reaching the far rank, though the chess usage named here refers to a queen's offensive play toward checkmate.

Synonyms: ruling, reigning, governing

Antonyms: serving, submitting, following