cubic
cubic Lexical Profile
cubic Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Denoting a unit of volume equal to that of a cube whose sides are of a specified linear unit.
"The shipping container has an internal capacity of roughly thirty-three cubic meters."
Having the form or shape of a cube; three-dimensional with six equal square sides.
"Halite, commonly known as rock salt, naturally forms clear cubic crystals."
Involving the third power of a variable or unknown quantity, and no higher power (in algebra).
"The students learned a new formula for finding the roots of a cubic equation."
• noun
An algebraic equation, polynomial, function, or curve of the third degree.
"When plotted on a coordinate plane, a standard cubic exhibits at least one real root."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Cubic" and "cubical" are closely related, but "cubic" is primarily used in mathematics, physics, and volume measurements (e.g., "cubic meters"), whereas "cubical" is preferred when describing the physical cube-like shape of an everyday object (e.g., "a cubical box").
• Rhymes for cubic
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Middle French from Latin cubicus, which itself derives from Ancient Greek kybikos, from kybos meaning "a cube" or "a six-sided die."