What does cube mean?
A cube is a familiar three-dimensional shape with six identical square faces meeting at right angles — think of dice, ice cubes, or sugar cubes. It is one of the five Platonic solids and appears constantly in everyday life, from packaging and architecture to children's blocks. Beyond geometry, the word carries a second important meaning in mathematics: to cube a number is to multiply it by itself twice, so the cube of 3 is 27. The reverse operation, finding a cube root, asks which number was multiplied this way. The word also names physical objects cut into cube shapes, such as bouillon cubes or tofu cubes in cooking. Its connotations are neutral and practical — orderliness, regularity, and structure. Whether encountered on a kitchen counter, in a maths textbook, or as the famous Rubik's Cube, it remains one of the most instantly recognisable shapes in the English-speaking world.
A solid three-dimensional figure with six equal square faces; a body with this shape, especially a small one such as an ice cube.
"He dropped an ice cube into his glass of lemonade."
Also used in mathematics for the third power of a number: the cube of 4 is 64.
To raise a number or quantity to its third power; to multiply it by itself twice.
"If you cube 5, you get 125."
Standard plural; used for both multiple geometric solids and multiple block-shaped items such as sugar cubes or ice cubes.
"The recipe calls for two chicken stock cubes."
A Rubik's Cube has over 43 quintillion possible positions — but only one solution.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cube
The word 'cube' comes from Latin 'cubus', which itself derived from Greek 'kybos', meaning a die or a cubic die used in games. The Greek term entered Latin during antiquity, and the mathematical sense of raising a number to its third power developed alongside the geometric one. Cognates and derivatives include 'cubic', 'cubical', and 'cuboid'. The word has been part of English since the medieval period through scholarly and mathematical writing.
Related word forms
How cube is actually used
In mathematics, 'cube' as a verb means to multiply a number by itself twice. In everyday speech, 'cube' often refers to small block-shaped items such as ice cubes or sugar cubes.
Easily confused with cube
'Cue' is a signal or prompt for an action, whereas 'cube' is a three-dimensional shape or a number multiplied by itself twice.
'Curb' means to restrain or control, or refers to the edge of a road, while 'cube' is a geometric solid or a mathematical power.