priorityqueue
nounUK /praɪˈɒrəti kjuː/
US /praɪˈɔːrəti kjuː/
A priority queue is a special line where the most important things go first.
The computer used a priority queue to send the emergency message before the others.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In computer science, an abstract data type where each element has a priority and the highest-priority element is removed first.
Dijkstra's algorithm relies on a priority queue to find the shortest path.
3. A scheduling system in which tasks are processed according to urgency rather than arrival order.
The hospital's triage desk works like a priority queue, treating the most critical patients first.
4. A line or waiting list where people or items are served based on importance instead of who came first.
At the airport, first-class passengers join a priority queue for boarding.