coin box

noun

1. a locked container or receptacle for holding coins deposited in a pay telephone, pinball machine, turnstile, or other coin-operated machine.

coin box

noun

1. the part of a coin-operated machine into which coins are placed

Word History and Origins

Origin of coin box¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

To “view” the museum, you just need to drop quarters into the coin boxes and look through viewing slots to check out the collection.

From Seattle Times

Gerald R. Ford International Airport is adding coin boxes where travelers can drop their money instead of putting it in a bowl and then scrambling to retrieve it after a security check.

From Washington Times

Upon their release in the fall of 1972, Mr. Dabney said, the machines became so popular that several of them stopped working because their coin boxes grew overstuffed with quarters.

From Washington Post

The Kenosha couple is charged with theft and entry into a locked coin box.

From Seattle Times

I took out my coin box from underneath the mattress and removed the top.

From Literature