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cube root

cube root

1 3.9
A number that when multiplied by itself twice gives a given number
  • noun
  • /kjuːb ruːt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : raíz cúbica
  • What is the cube root of 27?

So A&B; are just the cube root of these two values, correct?

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Examples

  • What is the cube root of 125?

    Blog text (2)
  • So I need to take the cube root of both sides.

  • OK, we can find the cube root of this guy here.

  • In this problem, we're going to find the cube roots of this complex number.

  • So Y equals the cube root of X.

  • To find the volume of a cube, you must first calculate the cube root of the total volume.

  • The teacher asked the students, "What is the cube root of 27?"

  • In mathematics, the cube root of a number is the value that when multiplied by itself twice gives that number.

Surface Forms

cube root singular
cube roots plural

Morphology

cube + root

The meaning is compositionally derived from 'cube' (the third power) and 'root' (a solution value): a cube root is the number which, when raised to the third power, gives the target number. This mathematical construction is literal and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Cube root comes from the picture of a cube: a cube's volume is its side length multiplied by itself three times, so a cube with side 3 has volume 3 times 3 times 3, which equals 27, and the root is the side length that makes that volume. That's why 'cube root' means the 'number that you multiply by itself twice' to get the given number.