Square vs. Cube: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on October 3, 2023
A square is a two-dimensional shape with four equal sides and four right angles, while a cube is a three-dimensional object with six equal square faces.
Comparison Chart
Imension
Two-dimensional
Three-dimensional
Definition
A shape with four equal sides and right angles
A solid object with six equal square faces
Calculation
Area is found by squaring the side length
Volume is found by cubing the side length
Algebraic Use
Represents a number multiplied by itself
Represents a number multiplied by itself twice
Application
Used in plane geometry, art, and floor designs
Used in solid geometry and volume measurement
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Square and Cube Definitions
Square
A polygon with four equal sides and four right angles.
The floor tile is a perfect square.
Cube
A three-dimensional shape with six equal square faces.
The box is shaped like a cube.
Square
The product of a number multiplied by itself.
Nine is the square of three.
Cube
A small, typically edible item in the shape of a cube.
She added a sugar cube to her coffee.
Square
A term used to describe someone considered old-fashioned or boring.
His views are so square.
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Cube
A block used in mathematical models or building sets.
The child stacked the colorful cubes.
Square
A polygon having four equal sides and four equal angles.
Cube
To cut food into small, square pieces.
He decided to cube the meat.
Square
Something having an equal-sided rectangular form
A square of cloth.
Cube
(Mathematics) A regular solid having six congruent square faces.
Square
A T-shaped or L-shaped instrument for drawing or testing right angles.
Cube
Something having the general shape of a cube
A cube of sugar.
Square
(Mathematics) The product obtained when a number or quantity is multiplied by itself
49 is the square of 7.
Cube
A cubicle, used for work or study.
Square
(Games) Any of the quadrilateral spaces on a board, as in chess.
Cube
(Mathematics) The third power of a number or quantity.
Square
Abbr. Sq. An open, usually four-sided area at the intersection of two or more streets, often planted with grass and trees for use as a park.
Cube
Cubes(Slang) Cubic inches. Used especially of an internal combustion engine.
Square
A rectangular space enclosed by streets and occupied by buildings; a block.
Cube
(Mathematics) To raise (a quantity or number) to the third power.
Square
The flower bud of a cotton plant, with three bracts surrounding the unopened flower in a pyramidal structure.
Cube
To determine the cubic contents of.
Square
(Slang) A person who is regarded as dull, rigidly conventional, and out of touch with current trends.
Cube
To form or cut into cubes
The cook cubed some potatoes.
Square
Having four equal sides and four right angles.
Cube
To tenderize (meat) by breaking the fibers with superficial cuts in a pattern of squares.
Square
Forming a right angle.
Cube
(geometry) A regular polyhedron having six identical square faces.
Square
In alignment or flush
Put the paper square with the edge of the desk.
Cube
Any object more or less in the form of a cube.
A sugar cube
A stock cube
Square
Abbr. sq. Expressed in units measuring area
Square feet.
Cube
(mathematics) The third power of a number, value, term or expression.
The cube of 2 is 8
Square
Having a specified length in each of two equal dimensions
A room that is 12 feet square.
Cube
(computing) A data structure consisting of a three-dimensional array; a data cube
Square
Having a base that is a square
A square pyramid.
Cube
A Rubik's cube style puzzle, not necessarily in the shape of a cube
Square
(Nautical) Set at right angles to the mast and keel. Used of the yards of a square-rigged ship.
Cube
A cubicle, especially one of those found in offices.
My co-worker annoys me by throwing things over the walls of my cube.
Square
Approximately rectangular and equilateral in cross section
A square house.
Cube
To raise to the third power; to determine the result of multiplying by itself twice.
Three cubed can be written as 33, and equals twenty-seven.
Square
Characterized by blocklike solidity or sturdiness.
Cube
(transitive) To form into the shape of a cube.
Square
Honest; direct
A square answer.
Cube
(transitive) To cut into cubes.
Cube the ham right after adding the curry to the rice.
Square
Just; equitable
A square deal.
Cube
(intransitive) To use a Rubik's cube.
He likes to cube now and then.
Square
Having all accounts settled; even
I paid what I owed you, so we're square.
Cube
A regular solid body, with six equal square sides.
Square
(Sports) Even; tied.
Cube
The product obtained by taking a number or quantity three times as a factor; as, 4x4=16, and 16x4=64, the cube of 4.
Square
(Slang) Rigidly conventional; dull.
Cube
To raise to the third power; to obtain the cube of.
Square
To cut to a square or rectangular shape. Often used with off.
Cube
A three-dimensional shape with six square or rectangular sides
Square
To test or adjust for conformity to a desired plane, straight line, or right angle.
Cube
A hexahedron with six equal squares as faces
Square
To mark into squares. Often used with off.
Cube
The product of three equal terms
Square
To bring into conformity or agreement
She could not square the request with her principles.
Cube
Any of several tropical American woody plants of the genus Lonchocarpus whose roots are used locally as a fish poison and commercially as a source of rotenone
Square
To bring (oneself) into a better position or relation
He tried to square himself with his parents.
Cube
A block in the (approximate) shape of a cube
Square
To set straight or at approximate right angles
Square one's cap.
Cube
Raise to the third power
Square
To bring into balance; settle
Square a debt.
Cube
Cut into cubes;
Cube the cheese
Square
(Sports) To even the score of
To square a game.
Cube
The result of a number multiplied by itself twice.
Eight is the cube of two.
Square
To raise (a number or quantity) to the second power.
Square
To find a square equal in area to (the area of a given figure).
Square
(Informal) To bribe or fix
A party in litigation that tried to square the judge.
Square
(Mathematics) To be at right angles.
Square
To agree or conform
A story that doesn't square with the facts.
Square
(Mathematics) At right angles.
Square
In a square shape.
Square
In a solid manner; firmly.
Square
Directly; straight
Ran square into each other.
Square
In an honest, straightforward manner.
Square
(geometry) A polygon with four sides of equal length and four right angles; an equilateral rectangle; a regular quadrilateral.
Square
Something characterized by a square, or nearly square, form.
Square
A cell in a grid.
You may not move a piece to a square already occupied by one of your own pieces.
Square
A square piece, part, or surface.
A square of glass
Square
The front of a woman's dress over the bosom, usually worked or embroidered.
Square
(North America) A dessert cut into rectangular pieces, or a piece of such a dessert.
Square
(printing) A certain number of lines, forming a portion of a column, nearly square; used chiefly in reckoning the prices of advertisements in newspapers.
Column inch
Square
An L- or T-shaped tool used to place objects or draw lines at right angles.
Square
A true measure, standard, or pattern.
Square
An open space or park, often in the center of a town, not necessarily square in shape, often containing trees, seating and other features pleasing to the eye.
Square
A street surrounding a public square or plaza.
Square
(mathematics) The product of a number or quantity multiplied by itself; the second power of a number, value, term or expression.
64 is the square of 8.
Square
(military formation) A body of troops drawn up in a square formation.
Square
A socially conventional or conservative person; a person who has little or no interest in the latest fads or trends: still sometimes used in modern terminology.
Why do you always wear a tie? Don't be such a square!
Square
(British) The symbol # on a telephone; hash.
Enter your account number followed by a square.
Square
(cricket) The central area of a cricket field, with one or more pitches of which only one is used at a time.
An ideal playing area is roughly circular in shape with a central area, the cricket square, measuring 27.44 metres by 27.44 metres and boundaries 45.75 metres from the sides of the square.
Square
(real estate) A unit of measurement of area, equal to a 10 foot by 10 foot square, i.e. 100 square feet or roughly 9.3 square metres. Used in real estate for the size of a house or its rooms, though progressively being replaced by square metres in metric countries such as Australia.
Square
(roofing) A unit used in measuring roof area equivalent to 100 square feet (9.29 m²) of roof area. The materials for roofing jobs are often billed by the square in the United States.
Square
(academia) A mortarboard.
Square
Senseid|en|square meal elliptically}} {{ellipsis of square meal
Even when times were tough, we got three squares a day.
Square
(archaic) Exact proportion; justness of workmanship and conduct; regularity; rule.
Square
The relation of harmony, or exact agreement; equality; level.
Square
(astrology) The position of planets distant ninety degrees from each other; a quadrate.
Square
(dated) The act of squaring, or quarrelling; a quarrel.
Square
(slang) Cigarette.
Square
(brewing) A vat used for fermentation.
Square
A well-defined core of a human body, a flat section from the fundament to the thoracic diaphragm.
Square
Shaped like a square the polygon.
Square
Forming a right angle (90°).
A square corner
Square
(of box-shaped objects such as buildings or metal frames) Forming right angles in all planes as intended; not rack or leaning.
The foundation has to be level and the framing has to be square.
Square
(nautical) Forming right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced.
Square
Used in the names of units of area formed by multiplying a unit of length by itself.
Square metre
Square mile
Square
Honest; straightforward; fair.
I'm just looking for a square deal on my car repair.
Square dealing
Square
Satisfied; comfortable with; not experiencing any conflict.
Square
Even; tied
To make or leave the accounts square
The sides were square at the end of the half.
Square
Socially conventional; boring.
Square
(cricket) In line with the batsman's popping crease.
Square
Solid, decent, substantial.
It may be prison, but at least I'm getting three square meals a day.
Square
Having a shape broad for the height, with angular rather than curving outlines.
A man of a square frame
Square
Directly.
Square
(transitive) To adjust so as to align with or place at a right angle to something else; in particular:
The casting was mounted on a milling machine so that its sides could be squared.
Square
(nautical) To place at a right angle to the mast or keel.
To square the yards
Square
(rowing) To rotate the oars so that they are perpendicular to the water.
Square
(ambitransitive) To resolve or reconcile; to suit or fit.
John can square this question up for us.
These results just don't square with what we expected.
Square
(transitive) To adjust or adapt so as to bring into harmony with something.
I cannot square the results of the experiment with my hypothesis.
To square our actions by the opinions of others
Square
Of a value, term, or expression, to multiply by itself; to raise to the second power.
Square
To draw, with a pair of compasses and a straightedge only, a square with the same area as.
Square the circle
Square
To tile (completely fill) with squares.
Square
(soccer) To make a short low pass sideways across the pitch
Square
(archaic) To take opposing sides; to quarrel.
Square
To accord or agree exactly; to be consistent with; to suit; to fit.
Square
(obsolete) To go to opposite sides; to take an attitude of offense or defense, or of defiance; to quarrel.
Square
To take a boxing attitude; often with up or off.
Square
To form with four sides and four right angles.
Square
To form with right angles and straight lines, or flat surfaces.
To square mason's work
Square
To compare with, or reduce to, any given measure or standard.
Square
(astrology) To hold a quartile position respecting.
Square
The corner, or angle, of a figure.
Square
Hence, anything which is square, or nearly so
He bolted his food down his capacious throat in squares of three inches.
Square
A pane of glass.
Square
An area of four sides, generally with houses on each side; sometimes, a solid block of houses; also, an open place or area for public use, as at the meeting or intersection of two or more streets.
The statue of Alexander VII. stands in the large square of the town.
Square
An instrument having at least one right angle and two or more straight edges, used to lay out or test square work. It is of several forms, as the T square, the carpenter's square, the try-square., etc.
Square
Hence, a pattern or rule.
Square
The product of a number or quantity multiplied by itself; thus, 64 is the square of 8, for 8
Square
Exact proportion; justness of workmanship and conduct; regularity; rule.
They of Galatia [were] much more out of square.
I have not kept my square.
Square
A body of troops formed in a square, esp. one formed to resist a charge of cavalry; a squadron.
Square
Fig.: The relation of harmony, or exact agreement; equality; level.
We live not on the square with such as these.
Square
The position of planets distant ninety degrees from each other; a quadrate.
Square
The act of squaring, or quarreling; a quarrel.
Square
The front of a woman's dress over the bosom, usually worked or embroidered.
Square
Having four equal sides and four right angles; as, a square figure.
Square
Forming a right angle; as, a square corner.
Square
Having a shape broad for the height, with rectilineal and angular rather than curving outlines; as, a man of a square frame.
Square
Exactly suitable or correspondent; true; just.
She's a most triumphant lady, if report be square to her.
Square
Rendering equal justice; exact; fair; honest; as, square dealing.
Square
Even; leaving no balance; as, to make or leave the accounts square.
Square
Leaving nothing; hearty; vigorous.
By Heaven, square eaters.More meat, I say.
Square
At right angles with the mast or the keel, and parallel to the horizon; - said of the yards of a square-rigged vessel when they are so braced.
Square
To form with four equal sides and four right angles.
Square
To form with right angles and straight lines, or flat surfaces; as, to square masons' work.
Square
To compare with, or reduce to, any given measure or standard.
Square
To adjust; to regulate; to mold; to shape; to fit; as, to square our actions by the opinions of others.
Square my trialTo my proportioned strength.
Square
To make even, so as to leave no remainder or difference; to balance; as, to square accounts.
Square
To multiply by itself; as, to square a number or a quantity.
Square
To hold a quartile position respecting.
The icy Goat and Crab that square the Scales.
Square
To place at right angles with the keel; as, to square the yards.
Square
To accord or agree exactly; to be consistent with; to conform or agree; to suit; to fit.
No works shall find acceptance . . .That square not truly with the Scripture plan.
Square
To go to opposite sides; to take an attitude of offense or defense, or of defiance; to quarrel.
Are you such foolsTo square for this?
Square
To take a boxing attitude; - often with up, sometimes with off.
Square
(geometry) a plane rectangle with four equal sides and four right angles; a four-sided regular polygon;
You can compute the area of a square if you know the length of its sides
Square
The product of two equal terms;
Nine is the second power of three
Gravity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance
Square
An open area at the meeting of two or more streets
Square
Something approximating the shape of a square
Square
Someone who doesn't understand what is going on
Square
A formal and conservative person with old-fashioned views
Square
Any artifact having a shape similar to a plane geometric figure with four equal sides and four right angles;
A checkerboard has 64 squares
Square
A hand tool consisting of two straight arms at right angles; used to construct or test right angles;
The carpenter who built this room must have lost his square
Square
Raise to the second power
Square
Make square;
Square the circle
Square the wood with a file
Square
Cause to match, as of ideas or acts
Square
Position so as to be square;
He squared his shoulders
Square
Be compatible with;
One idea squares with another
Square
Pay someone and settle a debt;
I squared with him
Square
Turn the paddle; in canoeing
Square
Turn the oar, while rowing
Square
Having four equal sides and four right angles or forming a right angle;
A square peg in a round hole
A square corner
Square
Leaving no balance;
My account with you is now all square
Square
Characterized by honesty and fairness;
A square deal
Wanted to do the square thing
Square
Without evasion or compromise;
A square contradiction
He is not being as straightforward as it appears
Square
Rigidly conventional or old-fashioned
Square
In a straight direct way;
Looked him squarely in the eye
Ran square into me
Square
With honesty and fairness;
Dealt squarely with his customers
Always treated me square
Square
In a square shape;
A squarely cut piece of paper
Folded the sheet of paper square
Square
Firmly and solidly;
Hit the ball squarely
The bat met the ball squarely
Planted his great bulk square before his enemy
Square
A public open space in a town.
We met in the town square.
Square
A tool used for ensuring accuracy in carpentry and building.
He used a square to check the corner's angle.
FAQs
Can a square represent two-dimensional space?
Yes, squares are used to represent two-dimensional space.
Is square only a mathematical term?
No, square has several meanings, including a public open space and an adjective describing a person.
Are all cubes squares?
No, cubes are three-dimensional, and squares are two-dimensional.
How do you calculate the area of a square?
By squaring the length of one of its sides.
Can cube refer to food?
Yes, "cube" can refer to cutting food into small, square pieces.
Are squares and cubes only used in geometry?
No, they have applications in various fields including algebra, art, architecture, and everyday language.
Can a cube have sides of different lengths?
No, a cube has all sides of equal length.
Can a cube represent volume?
Yes, cubes represent volume in three-dimensional space.
Are all squares rectangles?
Yes, all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares.
Do squares have diagonals of equal length?
Yes, the diagonals of a square are equal in length.
How do you calculate the volume of a cube?
By cubing the length of one of its sides.
Are the angles of a square always 90 degrees?
Yes, each angle in a square is a right angle, or 90 degrees.
Can cubes be used as building blocks?
Yes, cubes are often used as building blocks in various constructions.
Is every square side of equal length?
Yes, all four sides of a square are of equal length.
Can a square's area and a cube's volume be calculated with the same formula?
No, a square's area is found by squaring its side, and a cube's volume is found by cubing its side.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
