Main Entry:

¹box

Pronunciation:

\ˈbäks\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural box or box·es

Etymology:

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

Date:

before 12th century

: 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