q-word

noun3

1. •
   The word queer.
2. •
   Any word beginning with q, especially one that is not normally taboo but is considered (often humorously) to be so in the given context.
3. •
   (humorous) The word quiet, taken as a bad omen that once uttered the workplace will suddenly become exceptionally busy.

   • Even among Western doctors and surgeons, there is a widely held superstition about the q-word - 'quiet' - which should never be spoken during a hospital shift. — 2025

noun1

1. •
   A question word.

   • Cross-linguistically, a distinctive characteristic of this mood type is the presence of a question word (‘Q-word’) in the clause that queries missing information [...] — 2018