Rubik's cube

British, Southern, Standard/ˈɹʉwbɪkskjʉwb/

noun

A mechanical puzzle in the shape of a cube, all sides able to be rotated, each side divided into 9 squares, the moving pieces allowing the cube to be rearranged. The goal is to get the colored squares aligned so that each side of the cube is the same color.

Meanings

Rubik's cube1

nounRubik's cube (plural Rubik's cubes)

plural Rubik's cubes · alternative Rubik's Cube

  1. A mechanical puzzle in the shape of a cube, all sides able to be rotated, each side divided into 9 squares, the moving pieces allowing the cube to be rearranged. The goal is to get the colored squares aligned so that each side of the cube is the same color.

    They can open bottles, smoke a cigarette, draw a picture, solve a Rubik's cube, all with the holiest of holies.

    2005, Paul Carter, Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin, page 48

    Synonyms: 3x3x3, magic cube, puzzle cube

Rubik's Cube2

nounRubik's Cube (plural Rubik's Cubes)

plural Rubik's Cubes

  1. Alternative letter-case form of Rubik's cube.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA mechanical puzzle in the shape of a cube, all sides able to be rotated, each side divided into 9 squares, the moving pieces allowing the cube to be rearranged. The goal is to get the colored squares aligned so that each side of the cube is the same color.

Origin

  1. HungarianRubik-kocka
  2. EnglishRubik's cube

Calque of Hungarian Rubik-kocka, named after the inventor of the Rubik's cube, Ernő Rubik.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُكَعَّب رُوبِيك
  • مُكَعَّب رُوبِيك (mukaʕʕab rūbīk)cubical mechanical puzzle
Bengali রুবিক’স কিউব
  • রুবিক’স কিউব (rubik’s kiub)cubical mechanical puzzle
Chinese Cantonese 扭計骰 /扭计骰
  • 扭計骰 /扭计骰cubical mechanical puzzle
Chinese Mandarin 魔方
  • 魔方 (mófāng)cubical mechanical puzzle
Czech Rubikova kostka
  • Rubikova kostkacubical mechanical puzzle
Dutch Rubiks kubus
  • Rubiks kubuscubical mechanical puzzle
Esperanto kubo de Rubik
  • kubo de Rubikcubical mechanical puzzle
Estonian Rubiku kuubik
  • Rubiku kuubikcubical mechanical puzzle
Finnish Rubikin kuutio
  • Rubikin kuutiocubical mechanical puzzle
French Rubik's Cube, Cube de Rubik
  • Rubik's Cubecubical mechanical puzzle
  • Cube de Rubikcubical mechanical puzzle
German Zauberwürfel, Rubik’s Cube
  • Zauberwürfelcubical mechanical puzzle
  • Rubik’s Cubecubical mechanical puzzle
Greek κύβος του Ρούμπικ
  • κύβος του Ρούμπικ (kývos tou Roúmpik)cubical mechanical puzzle
Hebrew קובייה הונגרית
  • קובייה הונגרית (kubiya hungarit)cubical mechanical puzzle
Hindi रुबिक घन
  • रुबिक घन (rubik ghan)cubical mechanical puzzle
Hungarian Rubik-kocka
  • Rubik-kockacubical mechanical puzzle
Japanese ルービックキューブ
  • ルービックキューブ (rūbikku kyūbu)cubical mechanical puzzle
Korean 루빅스 큐브
  • 루빅스 큐브 (rubikseu kyubeu)cubical mechanical puzzle
Latvian Rubika kubs
  • Rubika kubscubical mechanical puzzle
Lithuanian Rubiko kubas
  • Rubiko kubascubical mechanical puzzle
Persian مکعب روبیک
  • مکعب روبیک (moka'ab-e rubik)cubical mechanical puzzle
Polish kostka Rubika
  • kostka Rubikacubical mechanical puzzle
Portuguese cubo mágico, cubo de Rubik
  • cubo mágicocubical mechanical puzzle
  • cubo de Rubikcubical mechanical puzzle
Russian ку́бик Ру́бика, ку́бик-ру́бик
  • ку́бик Ру́бика (kúbik Rúbika)cubical mechanical puzzle
  • ку́бик-ру́бик (kúbik-rúbik)cubical mechanical puzzle
Spanish cubo de Rubik, cubo mágico
  • cubo de Rubikcubical mechanical puzzle
  • cubo mágicocubical mechanical puzzle
Swedish Rubiks kub
  • Rubiks kubcubical mechanical puzzle
Thai ลูกบิด
  • ลูกบิด (lûuk-bìt)cubical mechanical puzzle
Turkish Rubik Küpü
  • Rubik Küpücubical mechanical puzzle
Vietnamese lập phương Rubik, khối Rubik
  • lập phương Rubikcubical mechanical puzzle
  • khối Rubikcubical mechanical puzzle
  • Rubikcubical mechanical puzzle
Yiddish רוביקס קוב
  • רוביקס קוב (rubiks kub)cubical mechanical puzzle
Cite this entry
APA

Rubik's cube. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rubik's%20cube

MLA

“Rubik's cube.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rubik's%20cube. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Rubik's cube,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rubik's%20cube.

Source: Rubik's cube on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.