- box
- box1noun1》 a container with a flat base and sides and a lid.↘(the box) informal, chiefly Brit. television.2》 an area enclosed within straight lines on a page or computer screen, to be filled in with or containing information.3》 (the box) Soccer the penalty area.↘Baseball the area occupied by the batter.4》 an enclosed area reserved for people in a theatre or sports ground, or for witnesses or the jury in a law court.5》 a protective casing for part of a mechanism.↘Brit. a shield for protecting a man's genitals in sport, especially cricket.6》 a facility at a newspaper office for receiving replies to an advertisement.↘a facility at a post office whereby letters are kept until collected by the addressee.7》 Brit. a small country house used when shooting or fishing.8》 historical a coachman's seat.verb1》 [often as adjective boxed] put in or provide with a box.2》 (box someone in) restrict someone's ability to move freely.Phrasesout of one's box Brit. informal intoxicated with alcohol or drugs.think outside the box informal have ideas that are original or creative.Derivativesboxful noun (plural boxfuls).box-like adjectiveOriginOE, prob. from late L. buxis, from L. pyxis 'boxwood box', from Gk puxos (see box3).————————box2verb fight an opponent with the fists in padded gloves as a sport.noun a slap on the side of a person's head.Phrasesbox clever Brit. informal outwit someone.box someone's ears slap someone on the side of the head.Derivativesboxing nounOriginME: of unknown origin.————————box3(also box tree)noun a slow-growing evergreen shrub with small glossy leaves, yielding hard wood. [Buxus sempervirens.]↘any of various other trees with similar foliage or wood. [Casearia praecox (tropical America) and other species.]OriginOE, via L. from Gk puxos.————————box4verb (in phr. box the compass) recite the compass points in correct order.OriginC18: perh. from Sp. bojar 'sail round', from Mid. Low Ger. bōgen 'bend', from the base of bow1.
English new terms dictionary. 2014.
