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
Aggie was bottle fed every three hours (thus the 3 a.m. feeding) and kept cozy, swaddled in blankets in a storage box near the wood stove. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 16 Mar. 2024 The tournament's owner, billionaire Larry Ellison, and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates were watching the match from Ellison's box. CBS News, 15 Mar. 2024 Hallberg remained on but moved to the first base coach’s box. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 Then Willis, in a surprise move, strode into the courtroom and sat down in the witness box. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 The parties could last several days and nights, with gamers crowded together among heavy computers and fast food boxes, crashing underneath their desks in sleeping bags and taking breaks to pull pranks on each other or watch movies. Steffi Cao, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 For the latter claim, Blanche tried to convince the judge that when Trump sent 15 boxes of documents to the National Archives and Records Administration in early 2022, that was essentially a donation on the president’s part. Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 In a social media post, a fan who attended the St. Louis tour stop shared a photo of two emergency contraceptive pill boxes. Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 According to the California Highway Patrol, approximately three massive boxes of toilet paper fell from a Ford F-350 onto the southbound lanes of the 5 Freeway in Newhall, California on Monday morning. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 13 Mar. 2024
Verb
VanDerveer said the team has worked on transition defense, being more patient on offense, setting better screens and boxing out in the three practices since losing to the Trojans. Harold Gutmann, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 Yes, an ex-heavyweight champ is boxing a YouTuber on Netflix. Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Mike Tyson is stepping back in the ring to box Jake Paul in a live special on Netflix this summer. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 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

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 29 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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