box

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈbäks 

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

c

: penalty box

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

b

: television

c

: a signaling apparatus

alarm box

d

: an automobile transmission

e

British : a gift in a box

f

: boom box

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

: predicament, fix

boxful

ˈbäks-fu̇l 

noun

plural boxfuls

boxlike

ˈbäks-ˌlīk 

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

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• bin
• locker
• trunk
• chest

Verb (1)

• house
• wall (in)
• fence (in)
• hem (in)
• include
• enclose

Verb (2)

• punch
• knock
• hit
• smack
• slap
• clip
• bang
• slam
• pound
• strike
• whack
• bat
• clap
• crack
• swipe
• tag

Noun (2)

• punch
• blow
• knock
• thump
• pound
• hit
• swipe
• slap
• thud
• whack
• stroke
• clip
• smack
• poke
• lick
• bang
• slam
• spank
• switch

Examples of box in a Sentence

Noun (1)

filled a whole box with books

the only way I'm ever leaving this hospital room is in a box

would you switch on the box so that we can watch the news?

with our new home still unfinished, and the buyers of our condo eager to move in, we were in a real box

Verb (1)

upon attempting to leave, we discovered we were completely boxed in by other cars

Verb (2)

his mother threatened to box his ears if he didn't show a bit more respect

Noun (2)

the vicious bully delivered a box to the child's ear

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Multiple incidents involving interference allegations and other voting issues were reported in the weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election, including voter registration ballots being damaged and ballot collection boxes being set on fire. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025

According to a police affidavit based on hotel video footage of the scuffle and the driver’s statement to authorities, Sanchez accosted the driver of a box truck that backed into the loading docks at a hotel. —Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

Verb

In the video sequence to follow, from the Wizards’ 129-125 victory in Detroit on March 13, Sarr fails to box out the Pistons’ Jalen Duren after a Pistons miss. —Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025

No Other Choice, Hikari’s Rental Family, the Sydney Sweeney boxing pic Christy from David Michôd, James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg, Morgan Neville’s Paul McCartney doc Man on the Run, and The Secret Agent, which earned Wagner Moura Cannes’ Best Actor prize. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025

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

Phrases Containing box

• ballot box
• big-box
• black box
• boom box
• box braid
• box camera
• box coat
• box cutter
• box elder
• box in
• box jelly
• box jellyfish
• box junction
• box kite
• box lunch
• box office
• box pleat
• box room
• box score
• box seat
• box set
• box social
• box someone's ears
• box spring
• box stall
• box turtle
• cable box
• call box
• check box
• chocolate-box
• dealing box
• dialog box
• ditty box
• dough box
• fuse box
• glove box
• idiot box
• in-box
• jack-in-the-box
• jewel box
• journal box
• letter box
• litter box
• live-box
• loose box
• lunch box
• luxury box
• miter box
• money box
• musical box
• music box
• open a Pandora's box
• out-box
• Pandora's box
• penalty box
• phone box
• pillar box
• poor box
• post office box
• pouncet-box
• press box
• ready box
• safe-deposit box
• sentry box
• service box
• set-top box
• shadow box
• shoe box
• Skinner box
• sound box
• squawk box
• stuffing box
• stuff the ballot box
• swell box
• telephone box
• the box
• think outside the box
• voice box
• window box
• witness-box

Rhymes for box

• balks
• blocks
• blocs
• chalks
• chocks
• clocks
• cocks
• cox
• crocks
• docks
• docs
• flocks

Kids Definition

box

1 of 5 noun

ˈbäks 

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"