Skip to main content
skybox

skybox

7.5
In computer graphics, a cube of pictures placed around a scene to show a distant sky
  • noun
  • /ˈskaɪbɑks/
  • Specialized
translation icon : skybox
  • When exploring the virtual world, I admired how the skybox seamlessly blended with the 3D landscape.

I've got a video to upload but we need a new skybox so I'm playing my Nintendo while awake.

Examples

  • I stand and watch the sun rise or set, or the clouds move overhead, as I used to gaze at the skybox in Unreal or the distant misty mountains of Phobos in Doom.

    Blog text (32)
  • I've got a video to upload but we need a new skybox so I'm playing my Nintendo while awake.

  • In the video game, the skybox created a stunning backdrop of a colorful sunset over the mountains.

  • The designer added a detailed skybox to enhance the immersive experience in the virtual reality environment.

Surface Forms

skybox singular
skyboxes plural

Morphology

skybox = sky + box (transparent) = sky + box

The technical term denotes a literal 'box' (cube) used to represent the 'sky' around a scene, a direct and predictable compound of its parts.

Etymology

Skybox in computer graphics also joins sky ('the distant sky') and box ('an enclosed space' or cube), so think of 'putting the sky in a box' around a scene. That's why a skybox is a cube of images used to show faraway sky and make the world feel large.