English Dictionary
Definition of “box”
1box1 (bɒks
)
Definitions
noun
- a receptacle or container made of wood, cardboard, etc, usually rectangular and having a removable or hinged lid
- boxfulthe contents of such a receptacle or the amount it can contain ⇒
he ate a whole box of chocolates
- any of various containers for a specific purpose ⇒
a money box
letter box
- (often in combination) any of various small cubicles, kiosks, or shelters ⇒
a telephone box or callbox
a sentry box
a signal box on a railway
- a separate compartment in a public place for a small group of people, as in a theatre or certain restaurants
- an enclosure within a courtroom See jury box
, witness box
- a compartment for a horse in a stable or a vehicle See loosebox
, horsebox
- British a small country house occupied by sportsmen when following a field sport, esp shooting
- a protective housing for machinery or mechanical parts
- the contents of such a box
- ((in combination) ⇒
a gearbox
- a shaped device of light tough material worn by sportsmen to protect the genitals, esp in cricket
- a section of printed matter on a page, enclosed by lines, a border, or white space
- 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
- the central part of a computer or the casing enclosing it
- short for penalty box
- baseball either of the designated areas in which the batter may stand
- the raised seat on which the driver sits in a horse-drawn coach
- New Zealand a wheeled container for transporting coal in a mine
- Australian New Zealand an accidental mixing of herds or flocks
- a hole cut into the base of a tree to collect the sap
- short for Christmas box
- a device for dividing water into two or more ditches in an irrigation system
- an informal name for a coffin
- taboo slang the female genitals
- See be a box of birds
- See the box
- See think outside the box
- See tick all the boxes
- See out of the box
verb
- (tr) to put into a box
- (tr; usually foll by in or up) to prevent from moving freely; confine
- (tr) in printing to enclose (text) within a ruled frame
- (tr) to make a cut in the base of (a tree) in order to collect the sap
- (tr) Australian New Zealand to mix (flocks or herds) accidentally
- (tr) up New Zealand to confuse ⇒
I am all boxed up
- nautical short for boxhaul
- See box the compass
Alternative Forms
ˈboxˌlike adjective Word Origin
Old English box , from Latin buxus from Greek puxosbox³
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
container,
case,
chest,
trunk,
pack,
package,
carton,
casket,
receptacle,
ark,
portmanteau,
coffret
kist,
2box2 (bɒks)
Definitions
verb
- (tr) to fight (an opponent) in a boxing match
- (intr) to engage in boxing
- (tr) to hit (a person) with the fist; punch or cuff
- See box clever
noun
- a punch with the fist, esp on the ear
Word Origin
C14: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to Dutch boken to shunt, push into position
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
punch,
hit,
strike,
belt,
deck,
slap,
sock,
buffet,
clout,
cuff,
whack,
wallop,
chin,
tonk,
thwack,
lay one on=
punch,
blow,
stroke,
belt,
slap,
thumping,
buffet,
clout,
cuff,
wallop,
3box3 (bɒks)
Definitions
noun
- a dense slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub of the genus a dense slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub of the genus Buxus , esp a dense slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub of the genus , esp B. sempervirens , which has small shiny leaves and is used for hedges, borders, and garden mazes: family a dense slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub of the genus , esp , which has small shiny leaves and is used for hedges, borders, and garden mazes: family Buxaceae
- the wood of this tree See boxwood (sense 1)
- any of several trees the timber or foliage of which resembles this tree, esp various species of any of several trees the timber or foliage of which resembles this tree, esp various species of Eucalyptus with rough bark
Word Origin
Old English, from Latin buxus
vanity bag or case or box
Definitions
noun
- a woman's small bag or hand case used to carry cosmetics, etc
Translations
- British English:
box
A box is a square or rectangular container with stiff sides and sometimes a lid....a small wooden box.bɒks NOUN ...a small wooden box.
- Spanish:
caja
nf
- French:
boîte
nf
- German:
Schachtel
nf Schachteln
- Chinese: 盒子 n
- Arabic: صُندوق n
- Portuguese: caixa nf
- Russian: коробка nf
- Croatian: kutija nf
- Czech: krabice nf
- Danish: kasse nutr
- Dutch: doos n
- Finnish: laatikko n
- Greek: κουτί nnt
- Italian: scatola nf
- Japanese: 箱 n
- Korean: 상자 n
- Norwegian: eske nm
- Polish: pudełko nnt
- Brazilian Portuguese: caixa nf
- European Spanish:
caja
nf
- Swedish: låda nutr
- Thai: กล่อง n
- Turkish: boks n
- Vietnamese: cái hộp n
Usage examples
A long, narrow box on the table with a faded gold name on the back contained a string of pearls.
Robert Wilson, THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (2002)Someone else would cull where I dither, and there would be a result-not an empty album and box after box of photographs.
Country Life (2004)Almost immediately Tomasson restored Feyenoord's two-goal advantage, beating the offside trap and scoring from near the edge of the box.
Irish Times (2002)Again, disgorge the contents of your coat cupboard box around the house.
Glasgow Herald (2001)The box said they were the most comfortable shoes in the world.
Christopher Ross, TUNNEL VISIONS: Journeys of an Underground Philosopher (2001)
