cube
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a solid object with six equal square sides.
n.a regular hexahedron consisting of six identical square faces meeting at right angles.
Simple“The child played with a wooden cube that had a different letter on each side.”
In context“The architect designed the pavilion as a perfect glass cube, creating a striking geometric contrast with the organic shapes of the surrounding park.”
Synonymsblockhexahedron - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the result of multiplying a number by itself twice.
n.the third power of a quantity, representing the volume of a cube with sides of that length.
Simple“The cube of 3 is 27 because 3 times 3 times 3 equals 27.”
In context“In the final step of the equation, the student had to calculate the cube of the variable to determine the total volume.”
Synonymsthird power - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a small workspace in an office with low walls.
n.an informal term for a cubicle, specifically a partially enclosed workspace in an open-plan office.
Simple“I spent the whole afternoon at my cube working on the budget report.”
In context“The modern office layout replaced traditional private rooms with rows of identical cubes to encourage a more collaborative environment.”
Synonyms - 04 B1 Intermediate
n.a puzzle like a Rubik's Cube where you twist the sides.
n.a twisty puzzle, typically a 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube or its variants.
Simple“He can solve the cube in less than thirty seconds.”
In context“Competitive speedcubers often lubricate their cubes to reduce friction and achieve faster turning speeds during tournaments.”
Synonymsrubik's cubetwisty puzzle - 05 B1 Intermediate
v.to cut food into small, square pieces.
v.to dice or cut a substance into small cubic shapes.
Simple“First, cube the potatoes and boil them until they are soft.”
In context“The recipe instructs the chef to cube the cold butter into uniform pieces before incorporating it into the flour mixture.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
v.to multiply a number by itself two times.
v.to raise a number or mathematical expression to the third power.
Simple“If you cube five, you get one hundred and twenty-five.”
In context“To find the volume of the container, you must cube the length of one of its internal edges.”
- 07 C2 Proficiency
adj.used after a unit of measurement to show volume.
adj.a postpositional adjective used to denote a unit of volume formed by the third power of a linear measure.
Simple“The engine has a capacity of 350 inches cube.”
In context“The specifications listed the displacement as 500 centimeters cube, though 'cubic centimeters' is the more frequent phrasing in modern manuals.”
UsageAlways follows the unit of measurement.
Synonyms
From Old French cube, from Latin cubus, from Ancient Greek κύβος (kúbos).
Clipped form of cubicle (with intentional reference to their common shape per cube, etymology 1), which from Latin cubiculum (“a small bedchamber or lounge”), from cubare (“to lie down”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.