box1

[boks] /bɒks/
noun
1.
a container, case, or receptacle, usually rectangular, of wood, metal, cardboard, etc., and often with a lid or removable cover.
2.
the quantity contained in a box:
She bought a box of candy as a gift.
3.
Chiefly British. a gift or present:
a Christmas box.
4.
post-office box.
5.
a compartment or section in a public place, shut or railed off for the accommodation of a small number of people, especially in a theater, opera house, sports stadium, etc.
6.
a small enclosure or area in a courtroom, for witnesses or the jury.
7.
a small shelter:
a sentry's box.
8.
British.
  1. a small house, cabin, or cottage, as for use while hunting:
    a shooting box.
  2. a telephone booth.
  3. a wardrobe trunk.
9.
box stall.
10.
the driver's seat on a coach.
11.
the section of a wagon in which passengers or parcels are carried.
12.
Automotive. the section of a truck in which cargo is carried.
13.
the box, Informal. television:
Are there any good shows on the box tonight?
14.
part of a page of a newspaper or periodical set off in some manner, as by lines, a border, or white space.
15.
any enclosing, protective case or housing, sometimes including its contents:
a gear box; a fire-alarm box.
16.
Baseball.
  1. either of two marked spaces, one on each side of the plate, in which the batter stands.
  2. either of two marked spaces, one outside of first base and the other outside of third, where the coaches stand.
  3. the pitcher's mound.
  4. the marked space where the catcher stands.
17.
a difficult situation; predicament.
18.
Agriculture. a bowl or pit cut in the side of a tree for collecting sap.
19.
Jazz Slang.
  1. a stringed instrument, as a guitar.
  2. a piano.
20.
Informal.
  1. a phonograph.
  2. a boom box.
  3. a computer.
21.
Slang. a coffin.
22.
Slang: Vulgar.
  1. the vulva or vagina.
  2. basket (def 9).
verb (used with object)
23.
to put into a box:
She boxed the glassware before the movers came.
24.
to enclose or confine as in a box (often followed by in or up).
25.
to furnish with a box.
26.
to form into a box or the shape of a box.
27.
to block so as to keep from passing or achieving better position (often followed by in):
The Ferrari was boxed in by two other cars on the tenth lap.
28.
to group together for consideration as one unit:
to box bills in the legislature.
29.
Building Trades. to enclose or conceal (a building or structure) as with boarding.
30.
Agriculture. to make a hole or cut in (a tree) for sap to collect.
31.
to mix (paint, varnish, or the like) by pouring from one container to another and back again.
32.
Australian.
  1. to mix groups of sheep that should be kept separated.
  2. to confuse someone or something.
Verb phrases
33.
box out, Basketball. to position oneself between an opposing player and the basket to hinder the opposing player from rebounding or tipping in a shot; block out.
Idioms
34.
out of the box, Australian Slang. remarkable or exceptional; extraordinary.
35.
outside the box, Informal. in an innovative or unconventional manner; with a fresh perspective:
You have to think outside the box and adapt those strategies to your business.
Also, out of the box.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English, Old English, probably < Late Latin buxis, a reshaping of Latin pyxis; see boîte
Related forms
boxlike, adjective

box2

[boks] /bɒks/
noun
1.
a blow, as with the hand or fist:
He gave the boy a box on his ear.
verb (used with object)
2.
to strike with the hand or fist, especially on the ear.
3.
to fight against (someone) in a boxing match.
verb (used without object)
4.
to fight with the fists; participate in a boxing match; spar.
5.
to be a professional or experienced prizefighter or boxer:
He has boxed since he was 16.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English box a blow, boxen to beat, of uncertain origin

box3

[boks] /bɒks/
noun
1.
an evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus Buxus, especially B. sempervirens, having shiny, elliptic, dark-green leaves, used for ornamental borders, hedges, etc., and yielding a hard, durable wood.
2.
the wood itself.
Compare boxwood (defs 1, 2).
3.
any of various other shrubs or trees, especially species of eucalyptus.
Origin
before 950; Middle English, Old English < Latin buxus boxwood < Greek pýxos

box4

[boks] /bɒks/
verb (used with object)
1.
Nautical. to boxhaul (often followed by off).
2.
Meteorology. to fly around the center of a storm in a boxlike pattern in order to gather meteorological data:
to box a storm.
Idioms
3.
box the compass, Nautical. to recite all of the points of the compass in a clockwise order.
Origin
1745-55; probably < Spanish bojar to sail around, earlier boxar, perhaps < Catalan vogir to (cause to) turn ≪ Latin volvere (see revolve); influenced by box1
Examples from the web for box
  • It is not a rectangular-box gallery where people show their work.
  • Wine in a box makes sense environmentally and economically.
  • Meyers doesn't question whether the box is genuine and dates back to the first century.
  • Soak three blocks of florist's foam in a bucket of water, then set them on plastic trays inside the window box.
  • Paint and stenciling transform a nursery box into a house number.
  • So this plain white box showed up this morning with no indication of what was contained inside.
  • We did a post on how to build a bee box for solitary nesting bees earlier this week.
  • Cars and trucks have a small, rugged box of electronics that can reveal how the vehicle was operating before a crash.
  • My committee members received lumps of coal from my cats' litter box.
  • Several factors explain this surge in enthusiasm for the ballot box.
British Dictionary definitions for box

box1

/bɒks/
noun
1.
a receptacle or container made of wood, cardboard, etc, usually rectangular and having a removable or hinged lid
2.
Also called boxful. the contents of such a receptacle or the amount it can contain: he ate a whole box of chocolates
3.
any of various containers for a specific purpose: a money box, letter box
4.
(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
5.
a separate compartment in a public place for a small group of people, as in a theatre or certain restaurants
6.
an enclosure within a courtroom See jury box, witness box
7.
a compartment for a horse in a stable or a vehicle See loosebox, horsebox
8.
(Brit) a small country house occupied by sportsmen when following a field sport, esp shooting
9.
  1. a protective housing for machinery or mechanical parts
  2. the contents of such a box
  3. (in combination): a gearbox
10.
a shaped device of light tough material worn by sportsmen to protect the genitals, esp in cricket
11.
a section of printed matter on a page, enclosed by lines, a border, or white space
12.
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
13.
the central part of a computer or the casing enclosing it
14.
short for penalty box
15.
(baseball) either of the designated areas in which the batter may stand
16.
the raised seat on which the driver sits in a horse-drawn coach
17.
(NZ) a wheeled container for transporting coal in a mine
18.
(Austral & NZ) an accidental mixing of herds or flocks
19.
a hole cut into the base of a tree to collect the sap
20.
short for Christmas box
21.
a device for dividing water into two or more ditches in an irrigation system
22.
an informal name for a coffin
23.
(taboo, slang) the female genitals
24.
(NZ) be a box of birds, to be very well indeed
25.
(Brit, informal) the box, television
26.
think outside the box, think out of the box, to think in a different, innovative, or original manner, esp with regard to business practices, products, systems, etc
27.
tick all the boxes, to satisfy all of the apparent requirements for success
28.
(Austral, informal) out of the box, outstanding or excellent: a day out of the box
verb
29.
(transitive) to put into a box
30.
(transitive; usually foll by in or up) to prevent from moving freely; confine
31.
(printing) (transitive) foll by in. to enclose (text) within a ruled frame
32.
(transitive) to make a cut in the base of (a tree) in order to collect the sap
33.
(transitive) (Austral & NZ) to mix (flocks or herds) accidentally
34.
(NZ) (transitive) sometimes foll by up. to confuse: I am all boxed up
35.
(nautical) short for boxhaul
36.
(nautical) box the compass, to name the compass points in order
Derived Forms
boxlike, adjective
Word Origin
Old English box, from Latin buxus from Greek puxosbox³

box2

/bɒks/
verb
1.
(transitive) to fight (an opponent) in a boxing match
2.
(intransitive) to engage in boxing
3.
(transitive) to hit (a person) with the fist; punch or cuff
4.
box clever, to behave in a careful and cunning way
noun
5.
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

box3

/bɒks/
noun
1.
a dense slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub of the genus Buxus, esp B. sempervirens, which has small shiny leaves and is used for hedges, borders, and garden mazes: family Buxaceae
2.
the wood of this tree See boxwood (sense 1)
3.
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

noun
1.
a woman's small bag or hand case used to carry cosmetics, etc
Word Origin and History for box
n..

Old English box "a wooden container," also the name of a type of shrub, from Late Latin buxis, from Greek pyxis "boxwood box," from pyxos "box tree," of uncertain origin. See OED entry for discussion. German Büchse also is a Latin loan word.

Meaning "compartment at a theater" is from c.1600. Meaning "pigeon-hole at a post office" is from 1832. Meaning "television" is from 1950. Slang meaning "vulva" is attested 17c., according to "Dictionary of American Slang;" modern use seems to date from c.World War II, perhaps originally Australian, on notion of "box of tricks." Box office is 1786; in the figurative sense of "financial element of a performance" it is first recorded 1904. Box lunch (n.) attested from 1899. The box set, "multiple-album, CD or cassette issue of the work of an artist" is attested by 1955.

"a blow," c.1300, of uncertain origin, possibly related to Middle Dutch boke, Middle High German buc, and Danish bask, all meaning "a blow," perhaps imitative.

v.

"to put into storage, put into a box," mid-15c., from box (n.1). Related: Boxed; boxing.

"to beat or whip," late 14c., from box (n.2). Meaning "to fight with the fists" is from 1560s. Related: Boxed; boxing.

Slang definitions & phrases for box

box

adjective

(also boxed) Dead (1970s+ Medical)

noun
  1. A coffin (1600s+)
  2. A safe; vault; bank vault (1900s+ Underworld)
  3. The vulva; vagina: Her box ain't no rose blossom (1600s+)
  4. The male genitals, esp as displayed by tight pants; basket (1960s+ Homosexuals)
  5. ny stringed instrument, esp a guitar (1930s+ jazz musicians)
  6. An accordion; groan box (1950s+)
  7. A phonograph (1920s+)
  8. Portable stereo radio; ghetto box: Hey, man, don't mess with my box/ They were allowed to keep their boxes because their age exempted them from normal court procedures (1970s+)
  9. A very tight and awkward situation; cleft stick; bind: Those guidelines put me in a hell of a box
verb
  1. To die: Oh, she boxed last night (1970s+ Medical)
  2. To kill: Samalson planned to go back Monday morning, but he got boxed (1970s+)
Related Terms

bitch box, blue box, first crack out of the box, git-box, go home feet first, idiot box, in a bind, in the box, nuthouse, out of the box, pete, shine box, soapbox, squawk box, stuff the ballot box, think-box


box in Technology

computer
1. A computer; especially in the construction "foo box" where foo is some functional qualifier, like "graphics", or the name of an operating system (thus, "Unix box", "MS-DOS box", etc.) "We preprocess the data on Unix boxes before handing it up to the mainframe." The plural "boxen" is sometimes seen.
2. Without qualification in an IBM SNA site, "box" refers specifically to an IBM front-end processor.
[Jargon File]
(1994-11-29)

box in the Bible

for holding oil or perfumery (Mark 14:3). It was of the form of a flask or bottle. The Hebrew word (pak) used for it is more appropriately rendered "vial" in 1 Sam. 10:1, and should also be so rendered in 2 Kings 9:1, where alone else it occurs.

Idioms and Phrases with box

box

also see: