cubicle
Americannoun
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a small space or compartment partitioned off.
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a bedroom, especially one of a number of small ones in a divided dormitory, as in English public schools.
noun
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a partially or totally enclosed section of a room, as in a dormitory
-
an indoor construction designed to house individual cattle while allowing them free access to silage
Etymology
Origin of cubicle
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin cubiculum bedroom, equivalent to cub ( āre ) to lie down + -i- -i- + -culum -cle 2
Explanation
A cubicle is a small space partitioned off within a larger space for a particular purpose — usually reading or studying. Or just surfing the Internet. Cubicle comes from the Latin term for a monk's bedroom, cubiculum, which itself is from the word cubare, "to lie down." Back then a monk would probably share it with an illuminated manuscript and a Bible; nowadays the average worker drone has a computer and a bunch of Post-it notes. Still great for sleeping in, though, as long as you don't get caught.
Vocabulary lists containing cubicle
Boy: Tales of Childhood
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Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Kendra said she had booked a ringside cubicle for the performance in Londonderry on Wednesday.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
The toilet is in a small cubicle that's quite loud; the astronauts need to wear ear protection when they use it.
From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026
They are polite background noise — the culinary equivalent of a cubicle in a Schaumburg office park.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
The mixed jobs picture reflects surging demand for people in healthcare and social services but a bleaker environment for government employees, factory workers and cubicle dwellers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
Holly forged past Root’s office, hoping she would make it to her cubicle before...
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
