Necker cube

British

/ ˈnɛkə /

noun

a line drawing showing the 12 edges of a transparent cube, so that it can be seen alternately facing in two different directions: an example of an ambiguous figure

"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

Etymology

Origin of Necker cube

C19: named after Louis Albert Necker (1786–1861), Swiss mineralogist

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.

See Examples For:

Necker cube

The sound is an example of a “perceptually ambiguous stimulus” such as the Necker cube or the face/vase illusion, said Professor David Alais from the University of Sydney’s school of psychology.

From The Guardian ● May 17, 2018

Professor David Alais from the University of Sydney’s school of psychology says the Yanny/Laurel sound is an example of a “perceptually ambiguous stimulus” such as the Necker cube or the face/vase illusion.

From The Guardian ● May 16, 2018

Probably the best known is the Necker cube, or the “old woman, young girl illusion.”

From Scientific American ● Jan. 24, 2011

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023