cube

[ kyoob ]

/ kyub /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: cube / cubed / cubes / cubing on Thesaurus.com

noun

a solid bounded by six equal squares, the angle between any two adjacent faces being a right angle.

an object, either solid or hollow, having this form or a form approximating it: a cube of cheese; plastic storage cubes.

sugar cube.

flashcube.

Mathematics. the third power of a quantity, expressed as a3 = a·a·a.

Informal. cubic inch, especially as a measure of the displacement of an automotive engine: a new sports car with 350 cubes.

Slang. one of a pair of dice; die.

Slang. a person who is unaware of or unfamiliar with current ideas, opinions, trends, etc.; square.

verb (used with object), cubed, cub·ing.

to make into a cube or cubes.

to cut into cubes.

Mathematics. to raise to the third power.

to measure the cubic contents of.

to tenderize (a thin cut or slice of meat) by scoring the fibers in a pattern of squares.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of cube

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cubus, from Latin, from Greek kýbos “cube, die”

OTHER WORDS FROM cube

cuber, noun

Other definitions for cube (2 of 2)

cube²

[ kyoo-bey ]

/ ˈkyu beɪ /

noun

any of several tropical plants of the legume family that are used in making fish poisons and insecticides.

Also cu·bé

[kyoo-bey]. /kyuˈbeɪ/.

Origin of cube

First recorded in 1920–25; from Latin American Spanish cubé; further origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cube in a sentence

A quarter-cup of ketchup helps coat crunchy cubes of tofu in a tangy, sweet, spicy and bright red-orange sauce.
The secret ingredient in these 5 recipes? Ketchup!|Kari Sonde|January 14, 2021|Washington Post
He showed, among other things, that to find the roots of any sixth-degree polynomial equation, you only need the usual arithmetic operations, some square and cube roots, and an algebraic formula that depends on only two parameters.
Mathematicians Resurrect Hilbert’s 13th Problem|Stephen Ornes|January 14, 2021|Quanta Magazine
Imagine an ant on one corner of a cube who wants to get to the opposite corner.
The Crooked Geometry of Round Trips|Patrick Honner|January 13, 2021|Quanta Magazine
You knew you were at one that really cared about details when you got a drink containing one of those hand-chiseled, perfectly sized for the glass, crystal-clear ice cubes.
Smaller bowl, same punch: Scaling down New Year’s drinks for one or two|M. Carrie Allan|December 18, 2020|Washington Post

They’re also like shape-shifting mega-Rubik’s cubes in that their 3D structure can change depending on the state of the body.
DeepMind’s AlphaFold Is Close to Solving One of Biology’s Greatest Challenges|Shelly Fan|December 15, 2020|Singularity Hub

British Dictionary definitions for cube (1 of 2)

cube¹

/ (kjuːb) /

noun

a solid having six plane square faces in which the angle between two adjacent sides is a right angle

the product of three equal factors: the cube of 2 is 2 × 2 × 2 (usually written 2³)

something in the form of a cubea bath cube

verb

to raise (a number or quantity) to the third power

(tr) to measure the cubic contents of

(tr) to make, shape, or cut (something, esp food) into cubes

(tr) US and Canadian to tenderize (meat) by scoring into squares or by pounding with a device which has a surface of metal cubes

Derived forms of cube

cuber, noun

Word Origin for cube

C16: from Latin cubus die, cube, from Greek kubos

British Dictionary definitions for cube (2 of 2)

cube²

/ (ˈkjuːbeɪ) /

noun

any of various tropical American plants, esp any of the leguminous genus Lonchocarpus, the roots of which yield rotenone

an extract from the roots of these plants: a fish poison and insecticide

Word Origin for cube

American Spanish cubé, of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for cube

cube

[ kyōōb ]

Verb

To multiply a number or a quantity by itself three times; raise to the third power. For example, five cubed is 5 X 5 X 5.

Noun

The product that results when a number or quantity is cubed. For example, the cube of 5 is 125.

A solid having six equal square faces or sides.

cube

Origin of cube

OTHER WORDS FROM cube

Other definitions for cube (2 of 2)

Origin of cube

Words related to cube

How to use cube in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cube (1 of 2)

Derived forms of cube

Word Origin for cube

British Dictionary definitions for cube (2 of 2)

Word Origin for cube

Scientific definitions for cube