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Pronunciation Guide
HOW TO PRONOUNCE

box

/bɑks/

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What does box mean?

noun

  1. A cuboid space; a cuboid container, often with a hinged lid.
  2. A cuboid container and its contents; as much as fills such a container.
  3. A compartment (as a drawer) of an item of furniture used for storage, such as a cupboard, a shelf, etc.
More meanings (55)

noun

  1. A compartment or receptacle for receiving items.
  2. A numbered receptacle at a newspaper office for anonymous replies to advertisements; see also box number.
  3. A compartment to sit inside in an auditorium, courtroom, theatre, or other building.
  4. The driver’s seat on a horse-drawn coach.
  5. A small rectangular shelter.
  6. Ellipsis of horsebox (“container for transporting horses”).
  7. Ellipsis of gearbox.
  8. Ellipsis of stashbox.
  9. Ellipsis of signal box.
  10. (figuratively) A predicament or trap.
  11. (slang) A prison cell.
  12. (slang) A cell used for solitary confinement.
  13. A coffin.
  14. (slang) The television.
  15. (slang) A computer, or the case in which it is housed.
  16. (slang) A gym dedicated to the CrossFit exercise program.
  17. A hard protector for the genitals worn inside the underpants by a batsman or close fielder.
  18. Synonym of gully (“a certain fielding position”).
  19. A cylindrical casing around the axle of a wheel, a bearing, a gland, etc.
  20. A device used in electric fencing to detect whether a weapon has struck an opponent, which connects to a fencer's weapon by a spool and body wire. It uses lights and sound to notify a hit, with different coloured lights for on target and off target hits.
  21. A stringed instrument with a soundbox, especially a guitar.
  22. Short for squeeze box (“accordion or concertina”)
  23. A rectangle: an oblong or a square.
  24. The rectangle in which the batter stands.
  25. One of two specific regions in a promoter.
  26. A pattern usually performed with three balls where the movements of the balls make a boxlike shape.
  27. (informal) Ellipsis of box lacrosse (“indoor form of lacrosse”).
  28. The penalty area.
  29. A diamond-shaped flying formation consisting of four aircraft.
  30. An area in the pit where the car is repaired and refueled.
  31. A rectangular object in any number of dimensions.
  32. Any of various evergreen shrubs or trees of genus Buxus, especially common box, European box, or boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) which is often used for making hedges and topiary.
  33. The wood from a box tree: boxwood.
  34. (slang) A musical instrument, especially one made from boxwood.
  35. An evergreen tree of the genus Lophostemon (for example, box scrub, Brisbane box, brush box, pink box, or Queensland box, Lophostemon confertus).
  36. Various species of Eucalyptus trees are popularly called various kinds of boxes, on the basis of the nature of their wood, bark, or appearance for example, drooping box (Eucalyptus bicolor), shiny-leaved box (Eucalyptus tereticornis), black box, or ironbark box trees.
  37. A blow with the fist.
  38. (slang, vulgar) The vagina.
  39. (dated) A small country house.
  40. (dated) A Mediterranean food fish of the genus Boops, which is a variety of sea bream; a bogue or oxeye.

verb

  1. To place inside a box; to pack in one or more boxes.
  2. Usually followed by in: to surround and enclose in a way that restricts movement; to corner, to hem in.
  3. To mix two containers of paint of similar colour to ensure that the color is identical.
  4. To make an incision or hole in (a tree) for the purpose of procuring the sap.
  5. To enclose with boarding, lathing, etc., so as to conceal (for example, pipes) or to bring to a required form.
  6. To furnish (for example, the axle of a wheel) with a box.
  7. To enclose (images, text, etc.) in a box.
  8. To place a value of a primitive type into a casing object.
  9. To enter the pit.
  10. To strike with the fists; to punch.
  11. To fight against (a person) in a boxing match.
  12. To participate in boxing; to be a boxer.

proper noun

  1. A surname.
  2. A village in Minchinhampton parish, south of Stroud, Gloucestershire, England (OS grid ref SO8600).
  3. A village and civil parish near Corsham, Wiltshire, England (OS grid ref ST8268).
Wiktionary contributors Wiktionary contributors

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/bɑks/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

Uncle Billy had been one of the most worthless old drunkards who ever sat on a store box and told filthy stories.
Willa CatherThe Song of the LarkProject Gutenberg ebook #44
As the horseman wheeled his animal and galloped away he turned to shout over his shoulder, “Don’t forget that box of cigars!”
Stephen CraneThe Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil WarProject Gutenberg ebook #73
More book examples (3)
He breathed a sigh of relief as he drew out the little tin box, and, opening it, found his greatest treasures undisturbed.
Edgar Rice BurroughsTarzan of the ApesProject Gutenberg ebook #78
Mrs. Comstock raked together the coals in the cooking stove, got out the lunch box, and sitting down she studied it grimly.
Gene Stratton-PorterA Girl of the LimberlostProject Gutenberg ebook #125
It was clear that the hydra of anarchy had emerged from its box and that it was stalking abroad through the quarter.
Victor HugoLes MisérablesTranslated by Isabel Florence HapgoodProject Gutenberg ebook #135