box Definition

box¹
noun boxes

1. A container made from wood, cardboard or plastic, etc, usually square or rectangular and with a lid.

Thesaurus: crate, carton, case, coffer, trunk.
2. A boxful.
3a. A small enclosed area, shelter or kiosk, etc for a specified purpose;

Example: telephone box
Example: sentry box
Example: witness box
3b. In a theatre, etc: a separate compartment for a group of people, containing several seats;
3c. An enclosed area for a horse in a stable or vehicle.

Form: horse-box (often)
(Brit)
colloq
Form: the box
5a. An area in a field, pitch, road, printed page, etc marked out by straight lines. ) the television;
5b. football.
The penalty box.
6. An individually allocated pigeonhole or similar container at a newspaper office or other agency, in which mail is collected to be sent on to, or collected by, the person it is intended for. See also PO box.

Example: Reply to box number 318
7. A case or housing for protecting machinery, etc.

Example: gearbox
8. cricket, etc.
A lightweight padded shield to protect the genitals.
9. A gift of money given to tradesmen and (formerly) servants.

Example: a Christmas box
10. A small country house or lodge, used as a base for some sports, eg a shooting-box.
11. A raised seat for the driver on a carriage.

verb boxes, boxed, boxing

1. To put it into a box or boxes

Thesaurus: pack, package, crate, confine, encase.
Form: box something up (also)
2. To stop them or it from moving about; to confine or enclose them or it.

Form: box someone or something in (especially)
Form: box someone or something up
(Austral, NZ)
3a. To mix up (different flocks of sheep) accidentally;

Form: box something up (also)
(Austral, NZ)
3b. colloq
To make a mess or muddle of it.
Form: box something up (also)
4. To fit or provide it with a box or boxes.

Form: box something up (also)

Derivative: boxed
adj

Contained in or provided with a box.

Derivative: boxlike
adj

Idiom: box the compass

To name all the 32 points of the compass in their correct order.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon: from Latin buxis, from Greek pyxis.

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box²
verb boxes, boxed, boxing

tr & intr
1. To fight with the hands formed into fists and protected by thick leather gloves, especially as a sport.

Thesaurus: spar, scrap (slang), duke (US slang).
2. colloq
To hit (especially someone's ears) with the fist, or sometimes the hand.
Thesaurus: cuff, clout.

noun

boxes
1. colloq
A punch with the fist, or sometimes a cuff or slap, especially on the ears.
Form: a box on the ears (usually)

Idiom: box clever

colloq
To act in a clever or cunning way; to be smart.

Etymology: 16c as verb; 14c, meaning ‘a blow'.

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box³
noun boxes

1. An evergreen shrub or small tree with small leathery paired leaves, glossy green above and paler underneath, and tiny green flowers lacking petals, widely used in formal gardens as a hedging plant, and for topiary.

Form: boxtree (also)
2. The hard durable fine-grained yellow wood of this tree, used eg for fine carving and inlay work.

Form: boxwood (also)

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon: from Latin buxus, from Greek pyxos.