music box

noun

: a container enclosing an apparatus that reproduces music mechanically when activated by a clockwork

Examples of music box in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nissan’s board fires Ghosn following the arrest. 2019: Ghosn flees house arrest in Tokyo, reportedly hiding inside a large music box to be transported to a private plane. Julia Malleck, Quartz, 20 June 2023 For Sebastian's first birthday, Cooper shared a video on Instagram of Sebastian playing with a music box that used to belong to his deceased mother. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 8 May 2023 The show's heart-tugging last moments were met with resounding sniffles from the audience, while iconic props such as the Phantom's boat and monkey music box were greeted with whoops and cheers. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2023 The music box was not uncommon, though always the melodies were trivial, worthy of no better than an organ grinder with a chimp—but not this music, no! Cynthia Ozick, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023 They were found with two small bags holding clothes, a towel, a flashlight, two phones and a music box. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 17 June 2023 The other two music boxes went to Bardeen and Brattain. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2022 Everything, from the building-block cities piled high with teetering apartments (no wonder their denizens fear the wind!) to the bubble-blowing music box that Juliette brattily knocks on its head, hooks and holds the attention, such that the plot hardly matters. Peter Debruge, Variety, 12 June 2023 First published in 1619, Kepler’s treatise was both an abstruse work of mathematics and a vision of the universe as a kind of celestial music box. Burkhard Bilger, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'music 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

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of music box was in 1827

Dictionary Entries Near music box

Cite this Entry

“Music box.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/music%20box. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

music box

noun
: a box containing a mechanical device that uses gears like those of a clock to play a tune

More from Merriam-Webster on music box

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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