box

¹

[ boks ]

noun

1. a container, case, or receptacle, usually rectangular, of wood, metal, cardboard, etc., and often with a lid or removable cover.
2. the quantity contained in a box:

   She bought a box of candy as a gift.

3. Chiefly British. a gift or present:

   a Christmas box.

4. post office box.
5. a compartment or section in a public place, shut or railed off for the accommodation of a small number of people, especially in a theater, opera house, sports stadium, etc.
6. a small enclosure or area in a courtroom, for witnesses or the jury.
7. a small shelter:

   a sentry's box.

8. British.
   1. a small house, cabin, or cottage, as for use while hunting:

      a shooting box.

   2. a telephone booth.
   3. a wardrobe trunk.
9. box stall.
10. the driver's seat on a coach.
11. the section of a wagon in which passengers or parcels are carried.
12. Automotive. the section of a truck in which cargo is carried.
13. the box, Informal. television:

    Are there any good shows on the box tonight?

14. part of a page of a newspaper or periodical set off in some manner, as by lines, a border, or white space.
15. any enclosing, protective case or housing, sometimes including its contents:

    a gear box; a fire-alarm box.

16. Baseball.
    1. either of two marked spaces, one on each side of the plate, in which the batter stands.
    2. either of two marked spaces, one outside of first base and the other outside of third, where the coaches stand.
    3. the pitcher's mound.
    4. the marked space where the catcher stands.
17. a difficult situation; predicament.
18. Agriculture. a bowl or pit cut in the side of a tree for collecting sap.
19. Jazz Slang.
    1. a stringed instrument, as a guitar.
    2. a piano.
20. Informal.
    1. a phonograph.
    2. a boom box.
    3. a computer.
21. Slang. a coffin.
22. Slang: Vulgar.
    1. the vulva or vagina.
    2. basket ( def 9 ).

verb (used with object)

1. to put into a box:

   She boxed the glassware before the movers came.

2. to enclose or confine as in a box (often followed by in or up ).
3. to furnish with a box.
4. to form into a box or the shape of a box.
5. to block so as to keep from passing or achieving better position (often followed by in ):

   The Ferrari was boxed in by two other cars on the tenth lap.

6. to group together for consideration as one unit:

   to box bills in the legislature.

7. Building Trades. to enclose or conceal (a building or structure) as with boarding.
8. Agriculture. to make a hole or cut in (a tree) for sap to collect.
9. to mix (paint, varnish, or the like) by pouring from one container to another and back again.
10. Australian.
    1. to mix groups of sheep that should be kept separated.
    2. to confuse someone or something.

verb phrase

1. Basketball. to position oneself between an opposing player and the basket to hinder the opposing player from rebounding or tipping in a shot; block out.

box

²

[ boks ]

verb (used with object)

1. to fight against (someone) in a boxing match.
2. to strike with the hand or fist, especially on the ear.

verb (used without object)

1. to fight with the fists; participate in a boxing match; spar.
2. to be a professional or experienced prizefighter or boxer:

   He has boxed since he was 16.

noun

1. a blow, as with the hand or fist:

   He gave the boy a box on his ear.

box

³

[ boks ]

noun

1. an evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus Buxus, especially B. sempervirens, having shiny, elliptic, dark-green leaves, used for ornamental borders, hedges, etc., and yielding a hard, durable wood.
2. the wood itself.
3. any of various other shrubs or trees, especially species of eucalyptus.

box

⁴

[ boks ]

verb (used with object)

1. Nautical. to boxhaul (often followed by off ).
2. Meteorology. to fly around the center of a storm in a boxlike pattern in order to gather meteorological data:

   to box a storm.

box

¹

/ bɒks /

noun

1. a dense slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub of the genus Buxus , esp B. sempervirens , which has small shiny leaves and is used for hedges, borders, and garden mazes: family Buxaceae
2. the wood of this tree See boxwood
3. any of several trees the timber or foliage of which resembles this tree, esp various species of Eucalyptus with rough bark

box

²

/ bɒks /

noun

1. a receptacle or container made of wood, cardboard, etc, usually rectangular and having a removable or hinged lid
2. Also calledboxful the contents of such a receptacle or the amount it can contain

   he ate a whole box of chocolates

3. any of various containers for a specific purpose

   letter box

   a money box

4. often in combination any of various small cubicles, kiosks, or shelters

   a telephone box or callbox

   a signal box on a railway

   a sentry box

5. a separate compartment in a public place for a small group of people, as in a theatre or certain restaurants
6. an enclosure within a courtroom See jury box witness box
7. a compartment for a horse in a stable or a vehicle See loosebox horsebox
8. a small country house occupied by sportsmen when following a field sport, esp shooting
9. 1. a protective housing for machinery or mechanical parts
   2. the contents of such a box
   3. ( in combination )

      a gearbox

10. a shaped device of light tough material worn by sportsmen to protect the genitals, esp in cricket
11. a section of printed matter on a page, enclosed by lines, a border, or white space
12. a central agency to which mail is addressed and from which it is collected or redistributed

    a post-office box

    to reply to a box number in a newspaper advertisement

13. the central part of a computer or the casing enclosing it
14. short for penalty box
15. baseball either of the designated areas in which the batter may stand
16. the raised seat on which the driver sits in a horse-drawn coach
17. a wheeled container for transporting coal in a mine
18. an accidental mixing of herds or flocks
19. a hole cut into the base of a tree to collect the sap
20. short for Christmas box
21. a device for dividing water into two or more ditches in an irrigation system
22. an informal name for a coffin
23. taboo.
    the female genitals
24. be a box of birds
    to be very well indeed
25. the box informal.
    television
26. think outside the box or think out of the box
    to think in a different, innovative, or original manner, esp with regard to business practices, products, systems, etc
27. tick all the boxes
    to satisfy all of the apparent requirements for success
28. out of the box informal.
    outstanding or excellent

    a day out of the box

verb

1. tr to put into a box
2. tr; usually foll by in or up to prevent from moving freely; confine
3. trfoll byin printing to enclose (text) within a ruled frame
4. tr to make a cut in the base of (a tree) in order to collect the sap
5. tr to mix (flocks or herds) accidentally
6. trsometimes foll byup to confuse

   I am all boxed up

7. nautical short for boxhaul
8. box the compass
   nautical to name the compass points in order

box

³

/ bɒks /

verb

1. tr to fight (an opponent) in a boxing match
2. intr to engage in boxing
3. tr to hit (a person) with the fist; punch or cuff
4. box clever
   to behave in a careful and cunning way

noun

1. a punch with the fist, esp on the ear

Derived Forms

• ˈboxˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• boxlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of box¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English, probably from Late Latin buxis, a reshaping of Latin pyxis; boîte, pyx

Origin of box²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English box “a blow,” boxen “to beat,” of uncertain origin

Origin of box³

First recorded before 950; Middle English, Old English, from Latin buxus “boxwood,” from Greek pýxos

Origin of box⁴

First recorded in 1745–55; probably from Spanish bojar “to sail around,” earlier boxar, perhaps from Catalan vogir “to (cause to) turn,” ultimately derived from Latin volvere ( revolve ); influenced by box ¹ (verb)

Word History and Origins

Origin of box¹

Old English, from Latin buxus

Origin of box²

Old English box , from Latin buxus from Greek puxos box ³

Origin of box³

C14: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to Dutch boken to shunt, push into position

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. box the compass, Nautical. to recite all of the points of the compass in a clockwise order.
2. out of the box, Australian Slang. remarkable or exceptional; extraordinary.
3. outside the box, Informal. in an innovative or unconventional manner; with a fresh perspective: Also out of the box.

   You have to think outside the box and adapt those strategies to your business.

More idioms and phrases containing box

• in a bind (box)
• on one's soapbox
• pandora's box
• stuff the ballot box

Example Sentences

The fire started in an alley behind a building surrounded by what appeared to be discarded furniture and boxes, according to video from the scene.

From Los Angeles Times

In my very first film, Sidney Poitier gave me this black box with everything that I would need in it to do my own hair and makeup.

From Salon

Surprisingly, that piece of sushi was Lee’s favorite from his entire box.

From Salon

Each civet species was captured in box traps.

From Science Daily

In 2017, a trove of Cole’s work was found in a safe deposit box in Sweden.

From New York Times

Related Words

• pack
• wrap