Definition of BOX

box

Meanings

Plural: boxen, boxes

Noun

  • a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
    • "he rummaged through a box of spare parts"
  • private area in a theater or grandstand where a small group can watch the performance
    • "the royal box was empty"
  • the quantity contained in a box
    • "he gave her a box of chocolates"
  • a predicament from which a skillful or graceful escape is impossible
  • a rectangular drawing
    • "the flowchart contained many boxes"
  • evergreen shrubs or small trees
  • any one of several designated areas on a ball field where the batter or catcher or coaches are positioned
    • "the umpire warned the batter to stay in the batter's box"
  • the driver's seat on a coach
    • "an armed guard sat in the box with the driver"
  • separate partitioned area in a public place for a few people
    • "the sentry stayed in his box to avoid the cold"
  • a blow with the hand (usually on the ear)
    • "I gave him a good box on the ear"
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A cuboid space; a cuboid container, often with a hinged lid.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A cuboid container and its contents; as much as fills such a container.
  • 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.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A compartment or receptacle for receiving items.
  • 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.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A compartment to sit inside in an auditorium, courtroom, theatre, or other building.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • The driver’s seat on a horse-drawn coach.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A small rectangular shelter.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • Ellipsis of horsebox (“container for transporting horses”).
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • Ellipsis of gearbox.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • Ellipsis of stashbox.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • Ellipsis of signal box.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A predicament or trap.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A prison cell.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A prison cell.
  • A cell used for solitary confinement.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A coffin.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • The television.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • The vagina.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A computer, or the case in which it is housed.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A gym dedicated to the CrossFit exercise program.
  • 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.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • Synonym of gully (“a certain fielding position”).
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A cylindrical casing around the axle of a wheel, a bearing, a gland, etc.
  • 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.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A small country house.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • A stringed instrument with a soundbox, especially a guitar.
  • Senses relating to a three-dimensional object or space.
  • Short for squeeze box (“accordion or concertina”)
  • Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space
  • A rectangle: an oblong or a square.
  • Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space
  • The rectangle in which the batter stands.
  • Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space
  • One of two specific regions in a promoter.
  • 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.
  • Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space
  • Ellipsis of box lacrosse (“indoor form of lacrosse”).
  • Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space
  • The penalty area.
  • Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space
  • A diamond-shaped flying formation consisting of four aircraft.
  • Senses relating to a two-dimensional object or space
  • An area in the pit where the car is repaired and refueled.
  • A rectangular object in any number of dimensions.
  • 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.
  • The wood from a box tree: boxwood.
  • A musical instrument, especially one made from boxwood.
  • An evergreen tree of the genus Lophostemon (for example, box scrub, Brisbane box, brush box, pink box, or Queensland box, Lophostemon confertus).
  • 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.
  • A blow with the fist.
  • A Mediterranean food fish of the genus Boops, which is a variety of sea bream; a bogue or oxeye.

Verb

  • put into a box
    • "box the gift, please"
  • hit with the fist
    • "I'll box your ears!"
  • engage in a boxing match
  • To place inside a box; to pack in one or more boxes.
  • Usually followed by in: to surround and enclose in a way that restricts movement; to corner, to hem in.
  • To mix two containers of paint of similar colour to ensure that the color is identical.
  • To make an incision or hole in (a tree) for the purpose of procuring the sap.
  • To enclose with boarding, lathing, etc., so as to conceal (for example, pipes) or to bring to a required form.
  • To furnish (for example, the axle of a wheel) with a box.
  • To enclose (images, text, etc.) in a box.
  • To place a value of a primitive type into a casing object.
  • To enter the pit.
  • To strike with the fists; to punch.
  • To fight against (a person) in a boxing match.
  • To participate in boxing; to be a boxer.

Origin / Etymology

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 πύξος (púxos, “box or tablet made of boxwood; box; cylinder”) and Ancient Greek πυξίς (puxís, “box or tablet made of boxwood; box; cylinder”). 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”).

Synonyms

'puter, axe wound, bearded clam, beaver, berk, blow, bonne bouche, booth, box, box seat, box up, boxful, boxwood, bun, bush, calculator, case, cavern, clunge, coin slot, computer, cooch, coochie, cookie, cooter, cooze, corner, crack, crevice, cuff, cunny, cunt, cup, electronic brain, electronic computer, embox, encase, fanny, fish lips, foo-foo, front bottom, front bum, front hole, gash, ginch, girl, Grand Canyon, gully, hole, honeypot, hoo-ha, hyperrectangle, innie, juice box, kebab, kitty, la-la, loge, love box, love tunnel, machine, minge, minnie, monosyllable, moocha, muff, muffin, nonny, number cruncher, orthotope, pack, pack up, package, pee-pee, penis fly trap, pink, pink bits, poontang, pump, punani, punch, pussy, quim, sausage wallet, sheath, shelter, slit, snapper, snatch, squish mitten, stench trench, stizzy, strange, sugar walls, telly, thinking machine, trap, tube, tuppence, TV, twat, twinkle, va-jay-jay, vadge, vag, vagina, vaginer, vertical smile, Virginia, vulva, wee-wee, whisker biscuit, wizard's sleeve

Antonyms

unbox, uncase, unpack

Scrabble Score: 12

box is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
box is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
box is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

box is a valid Words With Friends word