cube

An object or piece of something with roughly six square sides.

• Put an ice cube in the glass.
• He takes two sugar cubes in his coffee.
• Cut the cheese into small cubes.

How to use it: a cube of something (She dropped a cube of ice into her glass.)

Similar words: block

Common phrases: ice cube, sugar cube, cube of cheese

A solid shape with six equal square sides.

• A cube has six faces.
• The children drew cubes in their notebooks.
• What is the volume of this cube?

Common phrases: draw a cube, cube shape, volume of a cube

The result of multiplying a number by itself and then by itself again.

• The cube of two is eight.
• Calculate the cubes of these numbers.
• Is twenty-seven a perfect cube?

How to use it: the cube of a number (The cube of four is sixty-four.)

Similar words: third power

Common phrases: cube of something, perfect cube, calculate the cube

A small work area in an office, separated from others by low walls.

• My cube is beside the window.
• She decorated her cube with family photos.
• Who works in the cube next door?

Similar words: cubicle

Common phrases: office cube, in my cube, cube next door

To cut food into small pieces with roughly square sides.

• Cube the potatoes before cooking them.
• She cubed the cheese for the salad.
• Peel and cube the carrots, then add them to the pan.

Similar words: dice

Common phrases: cube the meat, cube the potatoes, cube something finely

To multiply a number by itself and then by itself again.

• Cube two to get eight.
• We cubed each number in the list.
• What happens if you cube a negative number?

Similar words: raise to the third power

Common phrases: cube a number, cube the result

To make something into a solid shape with six equal square sides.

• Cube the clay using this mold.
• The machine cubes the material under pressure.
• They cubed the wax before packing it.

Common phrases: cube the clay, cube the material

To play with or solve a Rubik’s Cube puzzle.

• I like to cube after school.
• She cubed for hours before the competition.
• Do you cube just for fun or try to beat records?

Common phrases: cube for fun, learn to cube, cube every day