Cubature
/ˈkjuː.bə.tʃər/noun
The measurement or calculation of the volume of a solid body.
Did you know?Cubature comes from the same Latin root as “cube,” ultimately tied to the Greek *kybos* for a die, because early mathematicians linked solid bodies to the geometry of dice-like forms.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kybos
“a die or cube-shaped object”
Late Latin
Latin
cubus
“a cube”
Medieval Latin
Latin
cubatura
“the act or result of cubing; volume measurement”
16th–17th Century
English
cubature
“the calculation of the volume of a solid”
Modern English
English
cubature
“measurement of volume, especially by mathematical methods”