pillbox

[ pil-boks ]

noun

1. a box, usually shallow and often round, for holding pills. pill.
2. a small, low structure of reinforced concrete, enclosing machine guns, and employed as a minor fortress in warfare.
3. a small, round, brimless hat with straight sides and a flat top, worn especially by women.

pillbox

/ ˈpɪlˌbɒks /

noun

1. a box for pills
2. a small enclosed fortified emplacement, usually made of reinforced concrete
3. a small round hat, now worn esp by women

Word History and Origins

Origin of pillbox¹

First recorded in 1720–30; pill ¹ + box ¹

Example Sentences

A woman in a pillbox hat held a tray of bubbling drinks.

From Literature

Winter storms have unearthed a World War Two pillbox on a sandy beach and revealed its interior.

From BBC

Those battles have featured the use of trenches, pillboxes, homemade armored cars and drones modified to drop small bombs.

From Seattle Times

“It wasn’t about ‘tank on tank’ fighting, it was ‘tank on pillbox’ and ‘tank on machine gun,’” General Donahoe said.

From Washington Times

He remembered that Laine wanted him to take his anti-anxiety medications when he could feel himself getting upset, so he unpacked all his belongings to search for his pillbox, found nothing, and repacked everything again.

From New York Times

Related Words

• beret