Box

//bɒks// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname.

    "The 10-inch increase forecast in the new study, which does not give a timeline, could be much higher if temperatures continue to rise, as they almost certainly will, said Jason Box, a glaciologist at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland who was the paper’s lead author."

  2. 2
    A village in Minchinhampton parish, south of Stroud, Gloucestershire, England (OS grid ref SO8600).
  3. 3
    A village and civil parish near Corsham, Wiltshire, England (OS grid ref ST8268).
Noun
  1. 1
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A cuboid space; a cuboid container, often with a hinged lid.

    "A terrible voice in the hall cried, "Bring down Master Scrooge's box, there!" and in the hall appeared the schoolmaster himself, who glared on Master Scrooge with a ferocious condescension, and threw him into a dreadful state of mind by shaking hands with him."

  2. 2
    Any of various evergreen shrubs or trees of genus Buxus, especially common box, European box, or boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) which is often used for making hedges and topiary.

    "And no maruell. For, the leaues of Boxe be deletorious, poiſonous, deadlie, and to the bodie of man very noiſome, dangerous and peſtilent[…]"

  3. 3
    A blow with the fist.

    "That he hath a neighbourly charitie in him, for he borrowed a boxe of the eare of the Engliſhman, and ſwore he would pay him againe when hee was able : I thinke the Frenchman became his ſuretie, and ſeald vnder for another."

  4. 4
    A Mediterranean food fish of the genus Boops, which is a variety of sea bream; a bogue or oxeye. dated

    "BOX. Box (Boops), […] In both jaws a single anterior series of broad incisors, notched at the cutting margin; no molars."

  5. 5
    a blow with the hand (usually on the ear) wordnet
Show 48 more definitions
  1. 6
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A cuboid container and its contents; as much as fills such a container.

    "a box of books"

  2. 7
    The wood from a box tree: boxwood.

    "Nevertheless, the application of woods other than box for purposes for which that wood is now used would tend to lessen the demand for box, and thus might have an effect in lowering its price."

  3. 8
    a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid wordnet
  4. 9
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A compartment (as a drawer) of an item of furniture used for storage, such as a cupboard, a shelf, etc.
  5. 10
    A musical instrument, especially one made from boxwood. slang

    "Evenin’, folks. Thought y’all might lak uh lil music this evenin’ so Ah brought long mah box."

  6. 11
    separate partitioned area in a public place for a few people wordnet
  7. 12
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A compartment or receptacle for receiving items.

    "post box  post office box"

  8. 13
    An evergreen tree of the genus Lophostemon (for example, box scrub, Brisbane box, brush box, pink box, or Queensland box, Lophostemon confertus). Australia
  9. 14
    private area in a theater or grandstand where a small group can watch the performance wordnet
  10. 15
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A compartment or receptacle for receiving items.; A numbered receptacle at a newspaper office for anonymous replies to advertisements; see also box number.

    "Add five words for address if replies are to come to a box number address at any of our offices. These replies are forwarded each day as received, in new envelopes at no extra charge. […] When replying to blind ads be careful to put on your envelope the correct box number and do not enclose original letters of recommendation—send copies."

  11. 16
    Various species of Eucalyptus trees are popularly called various kinds of boxes, on the basis of the nature of their wood, bark, or appearance for example, drooping box (Eucalyptus bicolor), shiny-leaved box (Eucalyptus tereticornis), black box, or ironbark box trees. Australia

    "The name "Black Box" seems to be most generally in use for this species, Eucalyptus boormani; the even better name of "Ironbark Box" (which certainly indicates its affinities) is nearly as frequently in use."

  12. 17
    the driver's seat on a coach wordnet
  13. 18
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A compartment to sit inside in an auditorium, courtroom, theatre, or other building.

    "There is yet a better manner of arranging the boxes; and for which invention we are indebted to Andrea Sighizzi, the ſcholar of [Francesco] Brizio and Dentone; […] The plan he followed was, that the boxes, according as they were to be removed from the ſtage towards the bottom of the theatre, ſhould continue gradually riſing by ſome inches one above the other, and gradually receding to the ſides by ſome inches; by which means, every box would have a more commodious view of the ſtage; […]"

  14. 19
    any one of several designated areas on a ball field where the batter or catcher or coaches are positioned wordnet
  15. 20
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; The driver’s seat on a horse-drawn coach.

    "Next in importance to the Dvornik comes the coachman of a Russian household. He is usually chosen for his fatness and the length of his beard. These seem curious reasons for choosing a coachman in a country where coach-boxes are smaller than anywhere else in the world; but whereas the average breadth of a Russian coach-box is scarcely more than twelve inches at the outside, the average breadth of a Russian coachman is a very different affair."

  16. 21
    evergreen shrubs or small trees wordnet
  17. 22
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A small rectangular shelter.

    "sentry-box"

  18. 23
    the quantity contained in a box wordnet
  19. 24
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; Ellipsis of horsebox (“container for transporting horses”). abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

    "He was a fine-looking middle-aged man, and his voice said at once that he expected to be obeyed. He was very friendly and polite to John, and after giving us a slight look, he called a groom to take us to our boxes, and invited John to take some refreshment."

  20. 25
    a rectangular drawing wordnet
  21. 26
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; Ellipsis of gearbox. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

    "They were capable of climbing most hills in second low but for this exercise we decided to go for the bottom of the box, just to be sure."

  22. 27
    a predicament from which a skillful or graceful escape is impossible wordnet
  23. 28
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; Ellipsis of stashbox. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

    "Thinkin' like Roddy, got a stick in the box (Roddy) Hide in another car, we just blickin' the opps (Bah)"

  24. 29
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; Ellipsis of signal box. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

    "Sparks from the derailed bogie of the train were first noticed by the signalman at Slough West box, who immediately sent to Slough Middle box the "Stop and Examine" signal, followed at once by "Obstruction Danger" when he realised that the coach was derailed."

  25. 30
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A predicament or trap. figuratively

    "I’m really in a box now."

  26. 31
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A prison cell. slang
  27. 32
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A prison cell.; A cell used for solitary confinement. slang

    "I am in what you call 'the box' confined to a 'special' housing unit for punishment because I stabbed some guys who call they self godly and are always beaten up on gays and she males because they hate homosexuals."

  28. 33
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A coffin. euphemistic

    "Prior to the explosion we spoke about what would happen if he [Lance-Corporal James Simpson] died and came back in a box and what music he would want at his funeral."

  29. 34
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; The television. slang

    "Mr. Wormwood switched on the television. The screen lit up. The programme blared. Mr Wormwood glared at Matilda. She hadn't moved. She had somehow trained herself by now to block her ears to the ghastly sound of the dreaded box. She kept right on reading, and for some reason this infuriated the father."

  30. 35
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; The vagina. slang, vulgar

    "Without warning, he withdrew his finger and drove his tongue inside her creamy, hot box. She gave a sharp intake of breath."

  31. 36
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A computer, or the case in which it is housed. slang

    "a UNIX box"

  32. 37
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A gym dedicated to the CrossFit exercise program. slang

    "Joshua Newman, until last month a co-owner of CrossFit NYC, which says it is the world's largest box, recalled a member in the gym's early days who was nicknamed "Welcoming Committee.""

  33. 38
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A hard protector for the genitals worn inside the underpants by a batsman or close fielder.

    "His [Rory Bremner's] brilliant story about having his box turned inside out by a delivery from Jeff Thomson – he contrasts it with Andrew Flintoff being hit in the box by Cardigan Connor. [David] Lloyd came up to Flintoff, and said, "Cardigan Connor? You consider it an honour to be hit by Cardigan. Do you remember Jeff Thomson? I was hit amidships by him, and it was not a glancing blow. I was wearing one of those old boxes – you know, the pink ones, like a soap dish. It ended up that everything that was supposed to be inside the box had come outside the box – through the air holes!""

  34. 39
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; Synonym of gully (“a certain fielding position”).
  35. 40
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A cylindrical casing around the axle of a wheel, a bearing, a gland, etc.

    "In common axles, the wheel is prevented from coming off by a pin, called the linch pin, passing through the end of the axletree arm, the name of the part that the wheel turns upon; but as many serious accidents have happened through the linch pin failing and the wheel coming off, an improved method of securing the latter is now practised, by means of a box called the axletree box, which is contrived to answer the double purpose of keeping on the wheel, and to hold oil, grease, or some lubricating substance for lessening the friction."

  36. 41
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A device used in electric fencing to detect whether a weapon has struck an opponent, which connects to a fencer's weapon by a spool and body wire. It uses lights and sound to notify a hit, with different coloured lights for on target and off target hits.

    "In electric fencing, foil and saber fencers wear lames, which are thin outer jackets that cover their target areas. Lames are made from fabric that conducts electricity. When a fencer touches an opponent's lame with his or her blade, an electronic signal is sent to the scoring box. A colored light goes on to signal a touch. […] In épée, the whole body is the target, so épée fencers do not need to wear lames. A signal is sent to the scoring box from the épée any time a touch is made."

  37. 42
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A small country house. dated

    "“I dare say the sheriff, or the mayor and corporation, or some of those sort of people, would give him money enough, for the use of it, to run him up a mighty pretty neat little box somewhere near Richmond.”"

  38. 43
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; A stringed instrument with a soundbox, especially a guitar. Southern-US, colloquial

    "So Tea Cake took the guitar and played himself. He was glad of the chance because he hadn't had his hand on a box since he put his in the pawn shop to get some money to hire a car for Janie soon after he met her."

  39. 44
    Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.; Short for squeeze box (“accordion or concertina”) Ireland, UK, abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial
  40. 45
    Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space; A rectangle: an oblong or a square.

    "Place a tick in the box."

  41. 46
    Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space; The rectangle in which the batter stands.

    "As anyone who has ever maintained a baseball or softball diamond would agree, the pitcher's mound and batter's box present a special challenge. […] Batters dig in at the plate, disturbing the soil and making a hole that base runners must slide across when they approach the plate. To withstand the special stresses on these areas, only clay-based soils provide the necessary soil strength. […] [S]ome manufacturers have introduced clay-based soil products for pitcher's mounds and batter's boxes. These products include additives with special binding properties and are specifically designed to resist the stresses applied by the cleats of pitchers and batters."

  42. 47
    Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space; One of two specific regions in a promoter.

    "Similar considerations apply in the case of tRNA genes, where the internal promoter is split into two functional domains (box A and box B) which must be a minimum distance apart[…]. The first 11 bp of the internal control region in the Xenopus 5S gene are structurally and functionally homologous to the box A element of tRNA gene promoters, […]"

  43. 48
    Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space; A pattern usually performed with three balls where the movements of the balls make a boxlike shape.

    "Your hands rest on the bottom plane of the box, relaxed and open; forearms are parallel with the ground and elbows close to your body. Balls thrown from your right hand are aimed at the point to the left of center of the top of the box. When you hit this point the ball will land in your left hand. Balls thrown from your left hand are aimed at the point to the right of center of the top of the box."

  44. 49
    Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space; Ellipsis of box lacrosse (“indoor form of lacrosse”). abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, informal

    "[page 12] Field players wear shoes with short spikes, called cleats, on the soles. Box players wear court shoes, which have grooved rubber soles. […] [page 30] Field goalies have larger nets to protect than goalies in box lacrosse have. Box goalies wear more pads."

  45. 50
    Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space; The penalty area.

    "Poised link-up play between [Michael] Essien and [Frank] Lampard set the Ghanaian midfielder free soon after but his left-footed shot from outside the box was too weak."

  46. 51
    Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space; A diamond-shaped flying formation consisting of four aircraft.
  47. 52
    Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space; An area in the pit where the car is repaired and refueled.

    "“Okay Lewis, so box this lap, box, box”"

  48. 53
    A rectangular object in any number of dimensions. broadly
Verb
  1. 1
    To place inside a box; to pack in one or more boxes. transitive

    "Scrapbooks that have enduring value in their original form should be individually boxed in custom-fitted boxes."

  2. 2
    To strike with the fists; to punch. transitive

    "to box someone’s ears"

  3. 3
    engage in a boxing match wordnet
  4. 4
    Usually followed by in: to surround and enclose in a way that restricts movement; to corner, to hem in. transitive

    "A large majority of children seem to delight in emotionally boxing in their parents—setting the double-bind trap by giving the parent two choices but determining ahead of time that neither choice will be sufficient for their satisfaction."

  5. 5
    To fight against (a person) in a boxing match. transitive
Show 10 more definitions
  1. 6
    hit with the fist wordnet
  2. 7
    To mix two containers of paint of similar colour to ensure that the color is identical. transitive

    "Straining eliminates lumps in the paint. If the paint has separated, stir the thick paint up from the bottom of each can to free as many lumps as possible. Then box the paint, pouring it all together through a nylon paint strainer and into the bucket. Paint less than one year old usually doesn't require straining. Older paint might have a thick skin on the top; remove the skin and set it aside. Box the paint, pouring it through a nylon paint strainer into the bucket."

  3. 8
    To participate in boxing; to be a boxer. intransitive, stative
  4. 9
    put into a box wordnet
  5. 10
    To make an incision or hole in (a tree) for the purpose of procuring the sap. transitive

    "The early settlers either boxed the tree or cut large slanting gashes, from the lower end of which a rudely fashioned spout conducted the sap to a bucket. This method was very destructive to the tree, and boring was substituted for it."

  6. 11
    To enclose with boarding, lathing, etc., so as to conceal (for example, pipes) or to bring to a required form. transitive

    "As early as the 1850s, prisons were being made "safer" by boxing in water pipes and enclosing galleries with netting to prevent jumping."

  7. 12
    To furnish (for example, the axle of a wheel) with a box. transitive

    "[T]he death of the said deceased Daniel Docherty, while in the defender's employment as an engineman, […] is alleged to have been owing to the engine house, which contained the engine of which the deceased had charge, being of a dangerous and improper construction, and the fly-wheel not having been boxed in or covered: […]"

  8. 13
    To enclose (images, text, etc.) in a box. transitive
  9. 14
    To place a value of a primitive type into a casing object. transitive
  10. 15
    To enter the pit.

    "“Okay Lewis, so box this lap, box, box”"

Etymology

Etymology 1

Etymology tree Ancient Greek πῠ́ξος (pŭ́xos) Ancient Greek -ις (-is) Ancient Greek πυξίς (puxís)bor. Late Latin buxisbor. Proto-West Germanic *buhsā Old English box Middle English box English box From Middle English box (“container, box, cup”), from Old English box (“box, case”), from Proto-West Germanic *buhsā (“box”) from Late Latin buxis (“box”), Latin pyxis (“small box for medicines or toiletries”), of uncertain origin; compare Ancient Greek πυξίς (puxís, “box or tablet made of boxwood; box; cylinder”) and πύξος (púxos, “box tree; boxwood”). Doublet of piseog, pyx, and pyxis. Cognate with Middle Dutch bosse, busse (“jar; tin; round box”) (modern Dutch bos (“wood, forest”), bus (“container, box; bushing of a wheel”)), Old High German buhsa (Middle High German buhse, bühse, modern German Büchse (“box; can”)), Swedish bössa (“box”). The humorous plural form boxen is from box + -en, by analogy with oxen. (motor racing): Used since it is more distinct over the radio compared to pit. Also from German Boxenstopp (“pit stop”).

Etymology 2

Etymology tree Ancient Greek πῠ́ξος (pŭ́xos) Ancient Greek -ις (-is) Ancient Greek πυξίς (puxís)bor. Late Latin buxisbor. Proto-West Germanic *buhsā Old English box Middle English box English box From Middle English box (“container, box, cup”), from Old English box (“box, case”), from Proto-West Germanic *buhsā (“box”) from Late Latin buxis (“box”), Latin pyxis (“small box for medicines or toiletries”), of uncertain origin; compare Ancient Greek πυξίς (puxís, “box or tablet made of boxwood; box; cylinder”) and πύξος (púxos, “box tree; boxwood”). Doublet of piseog, pyx, and pyxis. Cognate with Middle Dutch bosse, busse (“jar; tin; round box”) (modern Dutch bos (“wood, forest”), bus (“container, box; bushing of a wheel”)), Old High German buhsa (Middle High German buhse, bühse, modern German Büchse (“box; can”)), Swedish bössa (“box”). The humorous plural form boxen is from box + -en, by analogy with oxen. (motor racing): Used since it is more distinct over the radio compared to pit. Also from German Boxenstopp (“pit stop”).

Etymology 3

Etymology tree Latin buxusbor. Proto-West Germanic *buhs Old English box Middle English box English box From Middle English box (“box tree; boxwood”), from Old English box (“box tree”), from Proto-West Germanic *buhs (“box tree; thing made from boxwood”), from Latin buxus (“box tree; thing made from boxwood”), buxum (“box tree; boxwood”), possibly from πύξος (púxos, “box tree; boxwood”).

Etymology 4

From Middle English box (“a blow; a stroke with a weapon”); further origin uncertain, with relation to Proto-Germanic *boki-, whence Danish bask (“a blow; a stripe”), Danish baske (“to flap, move around, beat violently”), Middle Dutch boke (“a blow, a hit”), bōken (“to slap, strike”) (modern Dutch beuken (“to slap”)), West Frisian bûkje, bûtse, bûtsje (“to slap”), West Frisian and Saterland Frisian batsje (“to slap”), Low German betschen (“to slap, beat with a flat hand”), Middle High German buc (“a blow, a stroke”), bochen (“to slap, strike”), and further onomatopoeic shaping. The verb is from Middle English boxen (“to beat or whip (an animal)”), which is derived from the noun.

Etymology 5

From Middle English box (“a blow; a stroke with a weapon”); further origin uncertain, with relation to Proto-Germanic *boki-, whence Danish bask (“a blow; a stripe”), Danish baske (“to flap, move around, beat violently”), Middle Dutch boke (“a blow, a hit”), bōken (“to slap, strike”) (modern Dutch beuken (“to slap”)), West Frisian bûkje, bûtse, bûtsje (“to slap”), West Frisian and Saterland Frisian batsje (“to slap”), Low German betschen (“to slap, beat with a flat hand”), Middle High German buc (“a blow, a stroke”), bochen (“to slap, strike”), and further onomatopoeic shaping. The verb is from Middle English boxen (“to beat or whip (an animal)”), which is derived from the noun.

Etymology 6

From Latin bōx, from Ancient Greek βῶξ (bôx, “box (marine fish)”), from βοῦς (boûs, “ox”) + ὤψ (ṓps, “eye, view”), a reference to the large size of the fish's eyes relative to its body.

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