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Glite Dictionary
cu in

cu in

4.1
A measure of space equal to a cube one inch on each side
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : pulgadas cúbicas
  • The box measured 12 cu in.

Examples

  • This container holds only 10 cu in of water, which is a very small amount.

  • Please convert the measurements from cu in to liters for international customers.

  • The engine had a displacement of 350 cu in, making it very powerful for its time.

  • This container holds 100 cu in of liquid.

  • The storage box has a capacity of 1,500 cu in.

  • This cooler can hold up to 35 cu in of ice.

  • The dimensions of the container provide a volume of 12 cu in.

Synonyms

cubic inch
vscu in
  • US
4 3.0

A measure of space equal to a cube with sides one inch long

is the shortened written form used instead of the full name

How Big

cubic meter
9 2.7
cubic yard
  • US
4 2.6
cubic foot
  • US
17 3.0
cu in
  • Specialized
4.1

Surface Forms

cu in singular
cu ins plural

Morphology

cu + in

This is an orthographic abbreviation (cu in = cubic inch) rather than a compositional phrase: the element 'cu' is not a lexical English word and 'in' in the provided sense is a preposition, so a B1 learner who only knows the listed constituents would not be able to derive the unit-of-volume meaning. Only learners familiar with the conventional abbreviation conventions (cu. = cubic, in = inch) could interpret it, making it non-compositional for most learners.

Etymology

Cu in is the short form of the term 'cubic inch'. Imagine a tiny cube with sides one inch long; that cube shows the amount of space the name measures. So cu means 'cubic' and in means 'inch', and cu in is used to show 'volume'.