box office

noun
1.
the office of a theater, stadium, or the like, at which tickets are sold.
2.
Theater.
  1. receipts from a play or other entertainment.
  2. entertainment popular enough to attract paying audiences and make a profit:
    This show will be good box office.
Origin
1780-90

box-office

[boks-aw-fis, -of-is] /ˈbɒksˌɔ fɪs, -ˌɒf ɪs/
adjective
1.
of or pertaining to the box office or to the business and commercial aspects of the theater:
a box-office window; box-office receipts; a box-office attraction.
Origin
1805-15; adj. use of box office
Examples from the web for box office
  • It is on its way to making hundreds of millions of pounds in box office receipts.
  • Nor does their education level correlate with their box office earnings.
  • But many of the outsiders' films have disappointed at the box office, leaving them with poor returns.
  • Tellingly, the film's first-weekend box office take was well below expectations.
  • With the market in turmoil, the only safe bets may be at the box office.
  • The box office matters mostly as an indicator of popularity based on which studios make the vast majority of their revenue.
  • It's lovely the box office is so exciting and all of that.
  • Movie producers at first fought the spread of taped movies, fearing home viewing would cut into box office receipts.
British Dictionary definitions for box office

box office

noun
1.
an office at a theatre, cinema, etc, where tickets are sold
2.
the receipts from a play, film, etc
3.
  1. the public appeal of an actor or production: the musical was bad box office
  2. (as modifier): a box-office success
Idioms and Phrases with box office

box office

.
The office where seats for a play, concert, or other form of entertainment may be purchased, as in Tickets are available at the box office. It is so called because originally (17th century) it was the place for hiring a box, a special compartment of theater seats set aside for ladies. [ Second half of 1700s ]
.
The financial receipts from a performance; also, a show's relative success in attracting a paying audience. For example, You may not consider it great art, but this play is good box office. [ c. 1900 ]