box Hear it!

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box1 definition

box (bäks)

noun

  1. any of various kinds of containers, usually rectangular and lidded, made of cardboard, wood, or other stiff material; case; carton
  2. the contents or capacity of a box
  3. Chiefly Brit. a gift, esp. a Christmas present, in a box

  4. Etymology: < the toolbox under the seat

    the driver's seat on a coach
  5. a boxlike thing, opening, or compartment
  6. a small, enclosed group of seats, as in a theater, stadium, etc.
  7. a small booth or shelter for persons on outdoor duty a sentry box
  8. a small country house used by sportsmen a grouse box
  9. box stall
  10. a space or section for a certain person or group a press box, jury box
    1. a short newspaper article or advertisement enclosed in borders
    2. any of the enclosed sets of lines and spaces on a printed form
  12. ☆ Chiefly Brit., Informal television or a television set: used with the
  13. Slang the vulva or vagina: somewhat vulgar
  14. ☆ Baseball any of certain designated areas outlined on the playing field for the batter, catcher, and first-base and third-base coaches
  15. Mech. a protective casing for a part a journal box

Etymology: ME & OE, a container, box < VL buxis < L buxus, boxwood < Gr pyxos

transitive verb

  1. to provide with a box
  2. to put into a box, etc., as for storage or shipment
  3. to boxhaul

adjective

  1. shaped or made like a box
  2. packaged in a box

Related Forms:

box Idioms

box in

  1. box up (sense )
  2. to block and thus prevent (another racer) from getting ahead

box out

Basketball to block (an opponent) so as to prevent that player from getting a rebound

box the compass

  1. to name the thirty-two points of the compass in order: compasses were kept in boxes
  2. to make a complete circuit, returning to the starting point

box up

  1. to keep in; surround or confine
  2. ☆ to encase with sheathing boards, or laths

in a box

Informal in difficulty or a dilemma

outside (of) the box

Informal in a fresh, inventive, unconventional way
box2 definition

box (bäks)

noun

a blow struck with the hand or fist, esp. on the ear or the side of the head

Etymology: ME < ?

transitive verb

  1. to strike with such a blow
  2. to engage in a boxing match with

intransitive verb

to fight with the fists; engage in boxing
box3 definition

box (bäks)

noun

  1. any of a genus (Buxus) of evergreen shrubs or small trees of the box family with small, leathery leaves: some species are used as hedge plants or shaped as garden ornaments
  2. boxwood (sense )

Etymology: ME & OE < L buxus < Gr pyxos

adjective

designating a family (Buxaceae, order Euphorbiales) of dicotyledonous evergreen shrubs and trees, including pachysandra

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms box idiom

box Synonyms

box

n.

carton, crate, case, receptacle; see case 7.

in a box*

in difficulty, in a predicament, at an impasse, in a fix*; see in trouble 1 at trouble.


box

v.

  1. To enclose in a box

    pack, confine, package, crate; see pack 2, wrap 2.

  2. To fight for sport

    spar, punch, slug, hit, cuff, fight, cross gloves*, mix punches*, scrap*, swap punches*, duke*.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

box Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • tick: The last thing they want is to tick a box.

Preposition: at

  • bottom: Note the 2 tick boxes at the bottom of the panel, under the heading " Delivery " .

Adjective modifier

  • set-top: Will the Amiga be turned into a set-top box?

Modifies a noun

  • office: Box office: the place where you buy tickets for the theater or cinema.

Noun used with modifier

  • dialog: In the Options dialog box, click the File Type tab.

Preposition: of

  • chocolate: The prize for the evening was a box of chocolates, which Mary promptly handed out to everyone.
box usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

box quotes

Sir Walter, being strangely surprised and put out of his countenance at so great a table, gives his son a damned blow over the face.Hisson, asrude as he was, would not strike his father, but strikes over the face the gentleman that sat next to him and said 'Box about: 'twill come to my father anon.'

-Aubrey,John

Story is just just deserts†man in the crucible like jack in the box.

-Elkin, Stanley Lawrence

Nothing has conduced more to shake that decent respect for the living symbol of thestatethat goes by the name of royalty than the ever-recurring rattle of the money box.

-Labouche'  re, Henry Du Pre¤

box quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"box." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/box>

APA Style

box. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/box

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