cubic
/ˈkjuːbɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkjuːbɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkyü-bik/ (ame, mw)
cubic — adjective
- cubicpositive
- more cubiccomparative
- most cubicsuperlative
1. placed before units such as meter, foot, or centimeter to express how much space
placed before units such as meter, foot, or centimeter to express how much space a three-dimensional object occupies — found by multiplying its length, its width, and its height.
Gabriel ordered three cubic meters of concrete for the new driveway.
person + order + cubic measure for a purpose
One cubic meter of seawater contains roughly 35 kilograms of salt.
The rental fee for the storage unit is based on cubic feet of space.
The new water tank can hold up to 50 cubic meters of rainwater.
Trang measured the room and found it was 60 cubic meters in volume.
- volumetric
used in more technical or scientific contexts; 'volumetric analysis' vs. 'cubic meter'
文法句型
cubic + unit of measurement
number + cubic + unit + noun
用法筆記
This sense is almost always placed before a unit of measurement (meter, foot, centimeter, inch). The object whose volume is being described often follows the unit with 'of,' but can be omitted when the context makes it clear.
常見錯誤
2. shaped like a cube — a solid form whose six faces are all equal squares meeting
shaped like a cube — a solid form whose six faces are all equal squares meeting at right angles, such as a dice or a sugar cube.
The children built a small cubic house out of cardboard boxes.
Modern art museums sometimes display large cubic sculptures in their gardens.
used in art/design contexts
Hassan designed a cubic bookshelf that fits perfectly in the corner of his room.
The minimalist kitchen features cubic storage units along the wall.
A cubic diamond of that size would be extremely rare and valuable.
- cube-shaped
more conversational and makes the meaning immediately clear; preferred in everyday speech
- cubical
the strict synonym, but much less common; mostly used in technical or formal writing
- three-dimensional
much broader; describes anything with depth, height, and width, not just a cube
- flat
lacking the third dimension entirely
- two-dimensional
having only length and width, such as a square drawn on paper
文法句型
cubic + noun
be + cubic
用法筆記
Unlike the VOLUME MEASUREMENT sense, this sense describes physical form rather than quantity. It can be used predicatively: 'The room is roughly cubic.' In geometry contexts 'cubical' is a close synonym but far less common in everyday English.
常見錯誤
cubic — noun
1. in mathematics, an equation or curve that involves a variable raised to the thir
in mathematics, an equation or curve that involves a variable raised to the third power (x³), typically expressed in the form ax³ + bx² + cx + d = 0.
The teacher asked Yuna to solve the cubic on the board.
solve + cubic as noun in classroom context
In calculus class, Aiko graphed the cubic and found its three real roots.
person + action + cubic in classroom setting
Students often find factoring a cubic more difficult than a quadratic.
The mathematician discovered an efficient way to solve any cubic.
In the exam, Rodrigo had to sketch the graph of a given cubic.
- cubic equation
the full, more explicit term; preferred in formal mathematical writing
- cubic function
used when referring to the function f(x) = ax³ + bx² + cx + d rather than the equation set to zero
- cubic polynomial
emphasises the algebraic expression rather than the equation
- linear equation
an equation of the first degree (involving x, not x³)
- quadratic equation
an equation of the second degree (involving x²)
文法句型
solve + a/the cubic
factor + a cubic
the cubic + verb (has, shows)
用法筆記
This noun is a specialized shorthand used in mathematics classrooms and textbooks. The full forms 'cubic equation,' 'cubic function,' or 'cubic polynomial' are more explicit. It is countable — 'two cubics' is acceptable in technical discussion.