cubic

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adjective cu·bic \ ˈkyü-bik \

Definition of cubic

1 :having the form of a cube :cubical

2 a :relating to the cube considered as a crystal form

b :isometric 1

3 a :three-dimensional

b :being the volume of a cube whose edge is a specified unit

cubic inch

4 :of third degree, order, or power

a cubic polynomial

See cubic defined for English-language learners

See cubic defined for kids

Recent Examples of cubic from the Web

Too hot to handle. Selena Gomez, 25, prepared for the weekend with a slick new look which included a long wet bob paired with bright red lipstick, silver nails, cubic statement earrings and smokey eyes.

— alexia fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Selena Gomez Debuts Slick Bob with Bright Red Lipstick," 26 Aug. 2017
Egert and his colleagues found densities as high as 2.5 x 1010 and 5.4 x 1010—that’s 25 to 54 billion—bacterial cells per cubic centimeter of sponge.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Kitchen sponges are festering germ dens—and sanitizing them doesn’t help," 31 July 2017
The NASA scientists say their estimates of vinyl cyanide in Titan’s atmosphere suggest there may be enough molecules dissolved in Ligeia Mare, the moon’s second-largest body of liquid, to build up to 10 million membranes per cubic centimeter.

— marina koren, The Atlantic, "A Crucial Ingredient for Life on Saturn's Largest Moon," 28 July 2017
At sea level on Earth, by my calculations there are roughly 3x1025 molecules per cubic metre of air – that’s a three followed by 25 zeros, an enormously huge number.

— alexander mackinnon, Smithsonian, "Guess What? Space is Full of Booze," 28 July 2017
The vast field will be restricted to about 28 percent of its massive capacity, storing up to 23.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas, officials said.

— Washington Post, "Los Angeles natural gas field to reopen, but fight still on," 20 July 2017
At issue is more than 1,000 cubic yards of radioactive oil and gas drilling waste that state officials say were brought into Kentucky illegally and dumped at the Estill landfill from July through November 2015.

— james bruggers, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky accused of secrecy in radioactive fracking waste dumping case," 19 July 2017
Nearly 9,000 mold spores per cubic meter of air in 24 hours were reported.

— mari a. schaefer, Philly.com, "Is your head about to explode? Could be mold," 18 July 2017
If there are 3.28 x 1080 particles in the universe, that means there is only about one particle per cubic meter.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "How Many Particles Are in the Observable Universe?," 11 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cubic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of cubic

15th century

cubic

noun

Definition of cubic

:a cubic curve, equation, or polynomial

Recent Examples of cubic from the Web

Their namesake cubic frames contain up to 15 tentacles at the corners, with each growing as much as 10 feet long, all lined with thousands of stinging cells—

— daniel jameson, CNT, "The 10 Most Dangerous Animals in the World," 10 July 2017
Traditional dredging costs about $17 per cubic yard in the Cuyahoga.

— tristan baurick, NOLA.com, "New river dredger cleans silt and sand for restoration projects: report," 30 May 2017
The charge for compost loading is $10 per cubic yard, payment by check or money order only.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Neighbors calendar," 29 May 2017
The charge for compost loading is $10 per cubic yard, payment by check or money order only.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Neighbors calendar," 29 May 2017
The charge for compost loading is $10 per cubic yard, payment by check or money order only.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Neighbors calendar," 29 May 2017
The charge for compost loading is $10 per cubic yard, payment by check or money order only.

— Post-Tribune, "Community calendar," 13 May 2017

First Known Use of cubic

1799

CUBIC Defined for English Language Learners

cubic

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adjective

Definition of cubic for English Language Learners

: in the shape of a cube

CUBIC Defined for Kids

cubic

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adjective cu·bic \ ˈkyü-bik \

Definition of cubic for Students

1 :having the shape of a cube

2 :being the volume of a cube whose edge has a specified length

a cubic centimeter

Learn More about cubic

See words that rhyme with cubic Spanish Central: Translation of cubic Nglish: Translation of cubic for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cubic for Arabic speakers

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cubic

Definition of cubic

Recent Examples of cubic from the Web

First Known Use of cubic

cubic

Definition of cubic

Recent Examples of cubic from the Web

First Known Use of cubic

CUBIC Defined for English Language Learners

cubic

Definition of cubic for English Language Learners

CUBIC Defined for Kids

cubic

Definition of cubic for Students

Learn More about cubic

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First Known Use of cubic

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