cube
cube — adjective
1. relating to a number that has been multiplied by itself twice, typically written
relating to a number that has been multiplied by itself twice, typically written with a small 3 above and to the right of the number.
The teacher wrote 2 cubed equals 8 on the board for the class to copy.
pattern: number + cubed + equals + result
Elise remembered that in the formula V = r³, the letter r stands for the cubed radius of a sphere.
cubed used before a noun as an attributive adjective
Apinya checked her homework and confirmed that 4 cubed equals 64 before showing her work to the teacher.
Sora double-checked that 10 cubed equals one thousand before writing the answer on the maths test.
pattern: number + cubed + equals + result (imperative context)
- cubed number
- cubed value
- cubed radius
- cubed term
- to the third power
more formal phrasing used in mathematical writing
- raised to the third power
full expression; more common in textbooks than in speech
Grammar Patterns
cubed + noun
number + cubed
Usage Note
Frequently appears with a superscript 3 symbol (³) rather than the word 'cubed'. In written math expressions, the numeral comes first — e.g. 5³, not 'cubed 5'.
Common Mistakes
cube — noun
1. a solid object that has six square surfaces of the same size, with each surface
a solid object that has six square surfaces of the same size, with each surface meeting the next at a 90-degree angle, like a dice or a building block.
The children used wooden cubes to build a tower in the classroom.
collocation: wooden cube
A standard dice is a small cube with dots numbered one to six on its faces.
real-world example: dice as a cube
The sculptor carved a cube from a single block of white marble.
Jabari drew a cube on his notebook and shaded three of its faces.
- wooden cube
- cube of stone
- cube-shaped
- cube block
- ice cube tray
- cube of ice
Grammar Patterns
a + cube + of + noun
cube-shaped + noun
Usage Note
Distinguish from 'square' (a 2D shape) and 'cuboid' (a 3D shape whose faces are rectangles, not necessarily squares). Every cube is a cuboid, but not every cuboid is a cube.
Common Mistakes
2. the result you get when you multiply a number by itself twice — for instance, 5
the result you get when you multiply a number by itself twice — for instance, 5 × 5 × 5 = 125, so 125 is the cube of 5.
Minh wrote on the board that the cube of 3 is 27 and showed the class how 3 × 3 × 3 works.
pattern: the cube of [number] is [result]
Ishaan calculated the cube of 6, got 216, and checked the answer in his maths book before moving on.
The teacher wrote 64 on the board and showed the class it was a perfect cube because 4 × 4 × 4 equals 64.
collocation: perfect cube
The class had to memorise the cubes of numbers one through ten for the Friday maths quiz.
collocation: the cube of [number range]
- cube of a number
- perfect cube
- cube root
- find the cube of
- calculate the cube
- third power
more formal; used in mathematical writing ('2 raised to the third power')
- cube root
inverse operation — the cube root of 8 is 2, and the cube of 2 is 8
Grammar Patterns
the + cube + of + number
perfect + cube
Usage Note
The object is almost always a number or variable (e.g., 'the cube of x', 'the cube of 9'). Do not confuse with 'square' (multiplying by itself once). A common classroom question format is 'What is the cube of ___?'
Common Mistakes
3. a small square-shaped piece of something, usually food, that has been cut into t
a small square-shaped piece of something, usually food, that has been cut into this size and shape for eating or cooking.
Gita dropped two cubes of sugar into her coffee and stirred slowly.
collocation: cube of sugar
The recipe says to add cubes of chicken breast and let them simmer in the tomato sauce for fifteen minutes.
collocation: cubes of [meat/vegetable]
Léa cut the firm tofu into small cubes before adding them to the soup.
Aylin placed a cube of butter in the hot pan and watched it melt.
- sugar cube
- ice cube
- cube of cheese
- cube of butter
- cube of meat
- cube of tofu
- cut into cubes
- small cubes
Grammar Patterns
a + cube + of + food noun
Usage Note
Subject is usually a cook or recipe instruction. The cube size is typically about 1-2 cm per side. Common with ingredients like cheese, meat, tofu, butter, bread, fruit, and vegetables.
Common Mistakes
cube root
idiomthe number that produces a given number when multiplied by itself twice — for example, 3 is the cube root of 27 because 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
Mark calculated the cube root of 64 on the whiteboard and announced that the answer was 4.
Bao checked that the cube root of 125 is 5 by multiplying 5 × 5 × 5 on a piece of scrap paper.
cube steak
idioma thin piece of beef that has been tenderised by pounding it with a special tool to leave small square marks on the surface.
Adina ordered cube steak with mashed potatoes at the diner.
The recipe calls for cube steak that has been pounded until thin and tender with a metal mallet.
cube — verb
1. to divide food into small squared pieces of roughly equal size, usually while pr
to divide food into small squared pieces of roughly equal size, usually while preparing ingredients for a meal.
First, cube the potatoes and boil them in salted water for ten minutes.
pattern: cube + the + food_noun (recipe instruction)
The chef cubed the carrots and added them to the simmering soup.
Constanza cubed the ripe mango and tossed the pieces into the fruit salad.
collocation: cube + fruit/vegetable for salad or soup
The recipe says to cube the bread and bake the pieces until they are golden.
- cube the potatoes
- cube the chicken
- cube the cheese
- cubed carrots
- cubed meat
- finely cubed
- roughly cubed
- dice
very similar; 'dice' usually implies smaller pieces (about 0.5-1 cm), while 'cube' can be slightly larger
- cut into cubes
phrasal equivalent; more explicit about the shape
Grammar Patterns
cube + noun (food)
cube + noun + into + noun
Usage Note
Common in imperative form in recipes ('Cube the chicken'). The object must be a solid food item with enough structure to hold its shape — liquids or soft foods (e.g. yogurt, jam) do not work.
Common Mistakes
2. to take a number and raise it to the third power by performing two self-multipli
to take a number and raise it to the third power by performing two self-multiplications in sequence.
Zola cubed 5 on her calculator and got 125, confirming that 5 × 5 × 5 equals 125.
pattern: cube + number + get + result
To find the volume of a storage box that is a cube, measure one side and cube that length.
real-world application: volume calculation
Hao cubed the side length of the packing crate and wrote the volume as 27 cubic centimetres.
To finish the algebra problem, Emre cubed the value of x and then added five to get the final answer.
pattern: cube + the + variable/noun
- cube a number
- cube the length
- cube the radius
- cube the value
- cube the side
- cubed term
- raise to the third power
more formal phrasing; preferred in academic mathematical writing
- find the cube root
the inverse operation — you cube a number to get a result, or find the cube root to reverse it
Grammar Patterns
cube + number
cube + variable
Usage Note
Frequently appears in geometry and algebra problems involving volume. The object is always a number, variable, or measurement with a unit of length. The passive form is common ('the radius is cubed before multiplying by π').
Common Mistakes
Word family
- cubicadjectiveB1
- cubicaladjectiveB2
- cuboidnounC1
- cubingnounB2