cube — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A regular polyhedron having six identical square faces.

   Examples

   When the math teacher is teaching the class about cubes, he asks them to imagine a cardboard box whose width, length, and height are all the same.

2. Any object more or less in the form of a cube.

   Examples

   A: One cube or two? B: Oh, no sugar for me, thanks.

3. The third power of a number, value, term or expression.

   Antonyms

   cube root

   Examples

   The cube of 2 is 8.

   The cube of 0.5 is 0.125.

4. A data structure consisting of a three-dimensional array; a data cube.

5. A Rubik's cube style puzzle, not necessarily in the shape of a cube.

6. An extremely socially conventional or conservative person, more so than even a square.

   Usage

   • Dated

Verb

1. To raise to the third power; to determine the result of multiplying by itself twice.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   Three cubed can be written as 3³, and equals twenty-seven.

   More examples (1)

   From this severe trial Mr. Nackybal emerged with distinction, having in his cubing made only twenty-five slight mistakes out of the forty-six cubes demanded, and in his rooting, out of the fifty-three extractions propounded, committed a mere matter of four trifling errors!

2. To form into the shape of a cube.

   Usage

   • Transitive

3. To cut into cubes.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   Cube the ham right after adding the curry to the rice.

4. To use a Rubik's cube.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   He likes to cube now and then.

Adjective

1. Used in the names of units of area formed by multiplying a unit of length by itself twice.

   Usage

   • not-comparable
   • postpositional

   Related words

   cubiccubicalcuboidcubismcubistline segmentsquaretesseract

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Beautiful peepshows with hand-coloured engravings by Martin Englebrecht, 1684-1756, were produced in Augsburg about 1740. The box, about six inches cube, contained slots to take four cut-out scenes, the front of the box had another cut-out, and the back was painted with a landscape, making six 'curtains' in all.

Noun

1. A cubicle, especially one of those found in offices.

   Examples

   My co-worker annoys me by throwing things over the walls of my cube.

Noun

1. a hexahedron with six equal squares as faces

   Synonyms

   regular hexahedron

   Broader terms

   regular polyhedronregular convex solidregular convex polyhedronPlatonic bodyPlatonic solidideal solid

2. a three-dimensional shape with six square or rectangular sides

   Synonyms

   block

   Broader terms

   solid

3. the product of three equal terms

   Synonyms

   third power

   Broader terms

   number

4. any of several tropical American woody plants of the genus Lonchocarpus whose roots are used locally as a fish poison and commercially as a source of rotenone

   Broader terms

   subshrubsuffrutex

5. a block in the (approximate) shape of a cube

   Synonyms

   square block

   Broader terms

   block

Verb

1. raise to the third power

   Broader terms

   multiply

2. cut into cubes

   Synonyms

   dice

   Broader terms

   cut

   Examples

   cube the cheese