box

1 of 6

noun (1)

plural boxes
1
: a rigid typically rectangular container with or without a cover
a cigar box
: such as
a
: an open cargo container of a vehicle
b
: coffin
2
: the contents of a box especially as a measure of quantity
3
: an often small space, compartment, or enclosure: such as
a
: an enclosed group of seats for spectators (as in a theater or stadium)
b
: a cell for holding mail
d
: a driver's seat on a carriage or coach
e
British : box stall
4
: a box or boxlike container and its contents: such as
a
: a usually self-contained piece of electronic equipment
c
: a signaling apparatus
alarm box
d
: an automobile transmission
e
British : a gift in a box
f
5
: a usually rectangular space that is frequently outlined or demarcated on a surface: such as
a
: a space on a page for printed matter or in which to make a mark
b
: any of six spaces on a baseball diamond where the batter, coaches, pitcher, and catcher stand
c
: the intersection of two roads especially when treated as an area where vehicles are prohibited from stopping because doing so would interfere with traffic flow
Don't block the box.
6
: the limitations of conventionality
trying to think outside the box
7
: a cubical building
8
British : cup sense 5b
I like to use a pair of trousers which have a lot more room in them so that they give me far more freedom of movement. They also make it easier to put in a thigh pad and box.Glenn Turner
9
boxful noun
plural boxfuls
boxlike adjective

box

2 of 6

verb (1)

boxed; boxing; boxes

transitive verb

1
: to enclose in or as if in a box
2
: to hem in (someone, such as an opponent)
usually used with in, out, or up
boxed out the tackle

box

3 of 6

verb (2)

boxed; boxing; boxes

intransitive verb

: to fight with the fists : engage in boxing

transitive verb

1
: to hit (something, especially someone's ears) with the hand
2
: to engage in boxing with

box

4 of 6

noun (2)

: a punch or slap especially on the ear

box

5 of 6

noun (3)

plural box or boxes
: an evergreen shrub or small tree (genus Buxus of the family Buxaceae, the box family) with opposite entire leaves and capsular fruits
especially : a widely cultivated shrub (B. sempervirens) used for hedges, borders, and topiary figures

box

6 of 6

verb (3)

boxed; boxing; boxes

transitive verb

: to name the 32 points of (the compass) in their order
used figuratively in the phrase box the compass to describe making a complete reversal

Examples of box in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The question box includes a space for your name, but this is optional. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 District nurse Lisa Tripp took just 20 minutes to lay out the strategies to identify an opioid overdose, explain the dangers of fentanyl and then open boxes of Narcan to pass out to the students in attendance. Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 More than 400 workers will also be waiting outside of vote-by-mail drop boxes across the county to lock them at 8 p.m., Logan said, before a different set of workers transports those ballots to the City of Industry facility. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Keep cotton swabs, cotton balls, bandages, and more in tiny decorative boxes perched on floating shelves. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2024 People who bought a new electric vehicle may again qualify for a tax credit of up to $7,500 in 2023 (and through 2032), but the eligibility rules have tightened: Your income and the car price must fall below a certain ceiling, and the vehicle itself must check a series of boxes. Tara Siegel Bernard, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Voters can check their registration status or locate vote centers and ballot drop boxes online at sdvote.com. Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024 For anyone who wants a complete music system in a single box that still serves up serious quality audio, the Juke Box E1 SET could be the answer. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Read Next World Cache of coins was hidden in a box underground for 850 years — until now. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
Customers left flowers, cards and drawings, which Carley eventually boxed up and gave to Gandolfini’s son, Michael. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Regulators said Apple illegally used its App Store dominance to box out rivals. Adam Satariano, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Schiff’s effort appears to be boxing out his chief rival, Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine, a fellow Democrat, who trails in third. Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 And the sad part is the people who need it the most are often boxed out of those funding methods. Zoya Hasan, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The Today With Hoda and Jenna host, 42, celebrated the special milestone on The Today Show by bringing Read With Jenna authors onto the show who boxed up their books to send to libraries in all 50 states. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Ideally, things like clothes would be removed from closets and then remaining items could be boxed and stored in the garage. Amy Dickinson, The Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2024 That’s what this brazenly cynical ad is about — furthering his own political career, boxing out qualified Democratic women candidates. George Skelton, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024 You get boxed into this position where people who deal with you are making assumptions about your intellect. David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'box.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin buxis, from Greek pyxis, from pyxos box tree

Noun (2)

Middle English

Noun (3)

Middle English, from Old English, from Latin buxus, from Greek pyxos

Verb (3)

probably from Spanish bojar to circumnavigate, from Catalan vogir to turn, from Latin volvere to roll — more at voluble

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

1713, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of box was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near box

Cite this Entry

“Box.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/box. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

box

1 of 5 noun
plural box or boxes
: an evergreen shrub or small tree used especially for hedges

box

2 of 5 noun
1
a
: a container usually having four sides, a bottom, and a cover
b
: the amount held by a box
ate a whole box of popcorn
2
: a small compartment for a group of spectators in a theater
3
: the driver's seat on a carriage
4
: a shed that protects
5
: a container (as for a car transmission) that resembles a box
6
: a rectangle which encloses and draws attention to something printed
7
: a space on a baseball diamond where a batter, coach, pitcher, or catcher stands
8
: the limits of ordinariness
thinking outside the box

box

3 of 5 verb
: to enclose in or as if in a box

box

4 of 5 noun
: a punch or slap especially on the ear

box

5 of 5 verb
1
: to strike with the hand
2
: to engage in boxing : fight with the fists
Etymology

Noun

Old English box "box (shrub)," from Latin buxus (same meaning), from Greek pyxos "box tree"

Noun

Old English box "container," from Latin buxis (same meaning), from Greek pyxis, literally, "a container made from boxwood"

Noun

Middle English box "a blow or slap on the ear"

More from Merriam-Webster on box

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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