hellbox

[ hel-boks ]

noun

, Printing.

1. hell ( def 9 ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of hellbox¹

First recorded in 1885–90; hell + box ¹

Example Sentences

Why, she asked herself, was a 68-year-old Seattle woman seeking descent into California, the hellbox of the 21st century?

From Seattle Times

A hellbox, as the publishers helpfully note on the jacket, is the place where printers throw broken type.

From Time Magazine Archive

The book is a hellbox in a wider sense: about two-thirds of the stories record brief episodes of evil.

From Time Magazine Archive

The reset ad is worthless, often consigned at once to the composing-room hellbox for remelting.

From Time Magazine Archive