Cube
/kjuːb/
Definitions
3 meaningsA three-dimensional solid object bounded by six equal squares, or anything resembling such a shape.
/kjuːb/
A three-dimensional solid object bounded by six equal squares.
The child built a tower using several wooden cubes.
💡 Simply: Imagine a box where all the sides are the same size. That's a cube! Like an ice cube you put in your drink.
👶 For kids: A cube is like a box where all the sides are exactly the same size!
More Examples
The artist used cubes to create a modern sculpture.
An ice cube melted in his hand.
How It's Used
"The volume of a cube is calculated by cubing the length of its side."
"She added an ice cube to her drink to cool it down."
To cut into small cubes.
/kjuːb/
To cut (something) into small cubes.
She cubed the tomatoes for the salsa.
💡 Simply: When you 'cube' something, you're cutting it into little squares, like when you chop up veggies for a salad.
👶 For kids: To cube something means to cut it into little square pieces!
More Examples
Before adding the meat to the stew, she decided to cube it.
The chef cubed the vegetables expertly.
How It's Used
"She cubed the cheese before adding it to the salad."
"The recipe instructed him to cube the potatoes."
The third power of a number; the result of multiplying a number by itself twice.
/kjuːb/
The product of a number multiplied by itself twice.
The cube of 3 is 27.
💡 Simply: In math, when you 'cube' a number, you multiply it by itself and then by itself again. For example, the cube of 2 is 2 x 2 x 2 = 8
👶 For kids: In math, a cube is when you multiply a number by itself three times!
More Examples
Understanding cubes is crucial in algebra.
He calculated the cube root of the number.
How It's Used
"Eight is the cube of two."
From Latin *cubus*, from Greek *kýbos* meaning 'a die, a cube'. The geometric sense emerged in the 14th century.
The term 'cube' has been used in geometry since ancient Greek times, but its application to cutting food is a more modern usage.
Memory tip
Think of a box with perfectly equal sides.