cube

The word “cube” means a solid shape with six equal square faces. In plain terms, a six-sided box shape, or the math operation of multiplying a number by itself three times, or slang for a small office space.

“Cube” is pronounced kyoob (/kjub/ in IPA).

Here is “cube” used in a sentence: “She stacked ice cubes into a small tower.”

Words with a similar meaning to “cube” include to cut into cubes.

Depending on how it is used, “cube” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “cube” comes from Latin. From Old French cube, from Latin cubus, from Greek kubos, originally meaning a die used in games.

“Cube” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Cube” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a solid shape with six equal square faces.

A square is a two-dimensional shape with four equal sides, while a cube is a three-dimensional solid shape with six equal square faces. Every face of a cube is a square, but a cube itself has volume and depth that a square does not.

To cube a number means to multiply it by itself twice, or raise it to the third power, so cubing 3 gives 27. This mathematical sense of cube is distinct from the geometric sense of the solid shape.

To cube food means to cut it into small cube-shaped pieces, such as cubing potatoes or meat before cooking. This is a common instruction in recipes calling for evenly sized pieces.

In an office, a cube is an informal term for a cubicle, a small partitioned workspace. It is a casual shorthand rather than a formal term.