cube

plural cubes

1. geometryA regular polyhedron having six identical square faces.

   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.

   Synonyms: regular hexahedron

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

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

   Synonyms: block, brick, die, square block

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

   The cube of 2 is 8.

   1 more example

   The cube of 0.5 is 0.125.

   Synonyms: third power · Antonyms: cube root

4. computingA 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. abbreviationclippinginformalautomotiveClipping of cubic inch(es).

   As if the 383 weren't already a roaring beast, in 1972 they bored it out some more, bringing it up to 400 cubes. This 400-cube monster could launch a land yacht like the Plymouth Fury from zero to sixty in under ten seconds.

7. dated1950s slangAn extremely socially conventional or conservative person, more so than even a square.

present singular third person cubes · participle present cubing · participle past cubed · past cubed

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

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

   1 more example

   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!

   1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC

2. transitiveTo form into the shape of a cube.
3. transitiveTo cut into cubes.

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

   Synonyms: dice

4. intransitiveTo use a Rubik's cube.

   He likes to cube now and then.

   1 more example

   “She has gained a lot of love and attention through cubing.”

   2026 September 26, Yu-chen Li, Amy Hawkins, quoting Lin Yangxi, “Specialist coaches and hours of practice a day: the making of China’s six-year-old Rubik’s Cube prodigy”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

1. not comparablepostpositionalUsed in the names of units of area formed by multiplying a unit of length by itself twice.

   1 more example

   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.

   1971, Gwen White, Antique Toys And Their Background, page 181

plural cubes

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

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