box
♦♦ box /b'ɒks/ (boxes boxing boxed)
1 [N-COUNT]
A box is a square or rectangular container with hard or stiff sides. Boxes often have lids.
He reached into the cardboard box beside him...
They sat on wooden boxes.
...the box of tissues on her desk.
[N-COUNT] usu N of n
A box of something is an amount of it contained in a box.
She ate two boxes of liqueurs.
2 [N-COUNT] usu with supp
A box is a square or rectangle that is printed or drawn on a piece of paper, a road, or on some other surface.
3 [N-SING] the N
In football, the box is the penalty area of the field.
He scored from the penalty spot after being brought down in the box.
4 [N-COUNT]
A box is a small separate area in a theatre or at a sports ground or stadium, where a small number of people can sit to watch the performance or game.
5 [N-SING] the N
Television is sometimes referred to as the box. (BRIT INFORMAL)
Do you watch it live at all or do you watch it on the box?
= telly
6 [N-COUNT] with supp, usu N num
Box is used before a number as a postal address by organizations that receive a lot of mail.
...Country Crafts, Box 111, Landisville.
7 [N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Box is a small evergreen tree with dark leaves which is often used to form hedges.
...box hedges.
8 [VERB] V, V n, also V as n
To box means to fight someone according to the rules of boxing.
At school I boxed and played rugby...
The two fighters had previously boxed a 12-round match.
9
see also boxed, boxing, chocolate-box, chocolate-box, lunch box,
phone box, post office box, sentry box, sentry box, signal box, telephone boxbal|lot box (ballot boxes)
1 [N-COUNT]
A ballot box is the box into which ballot papers are put after people have voted.
2 [N-SING] the N
You can refer to the system of democratic elections as the ballot box.
Martinez expressed confidence of victory at the ballot box.black box (black boxes)
1 [N-COUNT]
A black box is an electronic device in an aircraft which records information about its flights. Black boxes are often used to provide evidence about accidents.
2 [N-COUNT] usu sing
You can refer to a system or device as a black box when you know that it produces a particular result but you have no understanding of how it works.
They were part of the black box associated with high-flyer management development.boom box (boom boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A boom box is a large portable machine for playing music, especially one that is played loudly in public by young people. (mainly AM INFORMAL; in BRIT, use ghetto-blaster)box in
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V-ed P, V n P
If you are boxed in, you are unable to move from a particular place because you are surrounded by other people or cars.
Armstrong was boxed in with 300 metres to go...
The black cabs cut in front of them, trying to box them in.
= hem in
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If something boxes you in, it puts you in a situation where you have very little choice about what you can do.
Part of winning a mandate is having clear goals and not boxing yourself in...
We are not trying to box anybody in, we are trying to find a satisfactory way forward.
● boxed in [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ
The Chancellor is boxed in by inflation targets and sterling.box lunch (box lunches)
[N-COUNT]
A box lunch is food, for example sandwiches, which you take to work, to school, or on a trip and eat as your lunch. (AM; in BRIT, use packed lunch)box num|ber (box numbers)
[N-COUNT]
A box number is a number used as an address, for example one given by a newspaper for replies to a private advertisement, or one used by an organization for the letters sent to it.box of|fice (box offices)
also box-office
1 [N-COUNT]
The box office in a theatre, cinema, or concert hall is the place where the tickets are sold.
2 [N-SING] usu the N, N n
When people talk about the box office, they are referring to the degree of success of a film or play in terms of the number of people who go to watch it or the amount of money it makes.
The film has taken £180 million at the box office...
The film was a huge box-office success.call box (call boxes)
also call-box
1 [N-COUNT]
A call box is the same as a telephone box. (BRIT)
2 [N-COUNT]
A call box is a telephone in a box or case, often on a pole, that is at the side of a road and that you can use in emergencies. (mainly AM)col|lec|tion box (collection boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A collection box is a box or tin that is used to collect money for charity. (AM)dia|log box (dialog boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A dialog box is a small area containing information or questions that appears on a computer screen when you are performing particular operations. (COMPUTING)fuse box (fuse boxes)
[N-COUNT] oft the N in sing
The fuse box is the box that contains the fuses for all the electric circuits in a building. It is usually fixed to a wall.id|iot box
[N-SING] the N
The idiot box is the television. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL; in AM, use boob tube)lunch box (lunch boxes)
also lunchbox
[N-COUNT]
A lunch box is a small container with a lid. You put food such as sandwiches in it to eat for lunch at work or at school.mon|ey box (money boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A money box is a small box with an opening at the top, into which a child puts coins as a way of saving money. (mainly BRIT)mu|sic box (music boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A music box is a box that plays a tune when you open the lid.
= musical boxmu|si|cal box (musical boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A musical box is the same as a music box. (BRIT)pack|ing box (packing boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A packing box is the same as a packing case. (mainly AM)pen|al|ty box (penalty boxes)
1 [N-COUNT] usu the N in sing
In football, the penalty box is the same as the penalty area. (mainly BRIT)
2 [N-COUNT]
In ice hockey, the penalty box is an area in which players who have broken a rule have to sit for a period of time.phone box (phone boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A phone box is a small shelter in the street in which there is a public telephone. (BRIT; in AM, use phone booth)pil|lar box (pillar boxes)
also pillar-box
[N-COUNT]
In Britain, a pillar box is a tall red box in the street in which you put letters that you are sending by post. (BRIT; in AM, use mailbox)post of|fice box (post office boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A post office box is a numbered box in a post office where a person's mail is kept for them until they come to collect it.
= PO Boxpress box (press boxes)
[N-COUNT] usu the N in sing
The press box at a sports ground is a room or area which is reserved for journalists to watch sporting events.safe de|pos|it box (safe deposit boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A safe deposit box is a small box, usually kept in a special room in a bank, in which you can store valuable objects.sen|try box (sentry boxes)
also sentry-box
[N-COUNT]
A sentry box is a narrow shelter with an open front in which a sentry can stand while on duty.set-top box (set-top boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A set-top box is a piece of equipment that rests on top of your television and receives digital television signals.sig|nal box (signal boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A signal box is a small building near a railway, which contains the switches used to control the signals.six-yard box
[N-SING] the N
On a football pitch, the six-yard box is the rectangular area marked in front of the goal.tele|phone box (telephone boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A telephone box is a small shelter in the street in which there is a public telephone. (BRIT; in AM, use phone booth)
= phone box, call boxtool box (tool boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A tool box is a metal or plastic box which contains general tools that you need at home, for example to do repairs in your house or car.voice box (voice boxes)
[N-COUNT]
Your voice box is the top part of the tube that leads from your throat to your lungs, which contains your vocal cords.
= larynxwin|dow box (window boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A window box is a long narrow container on a shelf at the bottom of a window and is used for growing plants.wit|ness box
[N-SING] the N
The witness box in a court of law is the place where people stand or sit when they are giving evidence. (BRIT; in AM, use witness stand)
1 [N-COUNT]
A box is a square or rectangular container with hard or stiff sides. Boxes often have lids.
He reached into the cardboard box beside him...
They sat on wooden boxes.
...the box of tissues on her desk.
[N-COUNT] usu N of n
A box of something is an amount of it contained in a box.
She ate two boxes of liqueurs.
2 [N-COUNT] usu with supp
A box is a square or rectangle that is printed or drawn on a piece of paper, a road, or on some other surface.
3 [N-SING] the N
In football, the box is the penalty area of the field.
He scored from the penalty spot after being brought down in the box.
4 [N-COUNT]
A box is a small separate area in a theatre or at a sports ground or stadium, where a small number of people can sit to watch the performance or game.
5 [N-SING] the N
Television is sometimes referred to as the box. (BRIT INFORMAL)
Do you watch it live at all or do you watch it on the box?
= telly
6 [N-COUNT] with supp, usu N num
Box is used before a number as a postal address by organizations that receive a lot of mail.
...Country Crafts, Box 111, Landisville.
7 [N-UNCOUNT] oft N n
Box is a small evergreen tree with dark leaves which is often used to form hedges.
...box hedges.
8 [VERB] V, V n, also V as n
To box means to fight someone according to the rules of boxing.
At school I boxed and played rugby...
The two fighters had previously boxed a 12-round match.
9
see also boxed, boxing, chocolate-box, chocolate-box, lunch box,
phone box, post office box, sentry box, sentry box, signal box, telephone boxbal|lot box (ballot boxes)
1 [N-COUNT]
A ballot box is the box into which ballot papers are put after people have voted.
2 [N-SING] the N
You can refer to the system of democratic elections as the ballot box.
Martinez expressed confidence of victory at the ballot box.black box (black boxes)
1 [N-COUNT]
A black box is an electronic device in an aircraft which records information about its flights. Black boxes are often used to provide evidence about accidents.
2 [N-COUNT] usu sing
You can refer to a system or device as a black box when you know that it produces a particular result but you have no understanding of how it works.
They were part of the black box associated with high-flyer management development.boom box (boom boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A boom box is a large portable machine for playing music, especially one that is played loudly in public by young people. (mainly AM INFORMAL; in BRIT, use ghetto-blaster)box in
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V-ed P, V n P
If you are boxed in, you are unable to move from a particular place because you are surrounded by other people or cars.
Armstrong was boxed in with 300 metres to go...
The black cabs cut in front of them, trying to box them in.
= hem in
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If something boxes you in, it puts you in a situation where you have very little choice about what you can do.
Part of winning a mandate is having clear goals and not boxing yourself in...
We are not trying to box anybody in, we are trying to find a satisfactory way forward.
● boxed in [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ
The Chancellor is boxed in by inflation targets and sterling.box lunch (box lunches)
[N-COUNT]
A box lunch is food, for example sandwiches, which you take to work, to school, or on a trip and eat as your lunch. (AM; in BRIT, use packed lunch)box num|ber (box numbers)
[N-COUNT]
A box number is a number used as an address, for example one given by a newspaper for replies to a private advertisement, or one used by an organization for the letters sent to it.box of|fice (box offices)
also box-office
1 [N-COUNT]
The box office in a theatre, cinema, or concert hall is the place where the tickets are sold.
2 [N-SING] usu the N, N n
When people talk about the box office, they are referring to the degree of success of a film or play in terms of the number of people who go to watch it or the amount of money it makes.
The film has taken £180 million at the box office...
The film was a huge box-office success.call box (call boxes)
also call-box
1 [N-COUNT]
A call box is the same as a telephone box. (BRIT)
2 [N-COUNT]
A call box is a telephone in a box or case, often on a pole, that is at the side of a road and that you can use in emergencies. (mainly AM)col|lec|tion box (collection boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A collection box is a box or tin that is used to collect money for charity. (AM)dia|log box (dialog boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A dialog box is a small area containing information or questions that appears on a computer screen when you are performing particular operations. (COMPUTING)fuse box (fuse boxes)
[N-COUNT] oft the N in sing
The fuse box is the box that contains the fuses for all the electric circuits in a building. It is usually fixed to a wall.id|iot box
[N-SING] the N
The idiot box is the television. (mainly BRIT INFORMAL; in AM, use boob tube)lunch box (lunch boxes)
also lunchbox
[N-COUNT]
A lunch box is a small container with a lid. You put food such as sandwiches in it to eat for lunch at work or at school.mon|ey box (money boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A money box is a small box with an opening at the top, into which a child puts coins as a way of saving money. (mainly BRIT)mu|sic box (music boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A music box is a box that plays a tune when you open the lid.
= musical boxmu|si|cal box (musical boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A musical box is the same as a music box. (BRIT)pack|ing box (packing boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A packing box is the same as a packing case. (mainly AM)pen|al|ty box (penalty boxes)
1 [N-COUNT] usu the N in sing
In football, the penalty box is the same as the penalty area. (mainly BRIT)
2 [N-COUNT]
In ice hockey, the penalty box is an area in which players who have broken a rule have to sit for a period of time.phone box (phone boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A phone box is a small shelter in the street in which there is a public telephone. (BRIT; in AM, use phone booth)pil|lar box (pillar boxes)
also pillar-box
[N-COUNT]
In Britain, a pillar box is a tall red box in the street in which you put letters that you are sending by post. (BRIT; in AM, use mailbox)post of|fice box (post office boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A post office box is a numbered box in a post office where a person's mail is kept for them until they come to collect it.
= PO Boxpress box (press boxes)
[N-COUNT] usu the N in sing
The press box at a sports ground is a room or area which is reserved for journalists to watch sporting events.safe de|pos|it box (safe deposit boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A safe deposit box is a small box, usually kept in a special room in a bank, in which you can store valuable objects.sen|try box (sentry boxes)
also sentry-box
[N-COUNT]
A sentry box is a narrow shelter with an open front in which a sentry can stand while on duty.set-top box (set-top boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A set-top box is a piece of equipment that rests on top of your television and receives digital television signals.sig|nal box (signal boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A signal box is a small building near a railway, which contains the switches used to control the signals.six-yard box
[N-SING] the N
On a football pitch, the six-yard box is the rectangular area marked in front of the goal.tele|phone box (telephone boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A telephone box is a small shelter in the street in which there is a public telephone. (BRIT; in AM, use phone booth)
= phone box, call boxtool box (tool boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A tool box is a metal or plastic box which contains general tools that you need at home, for example to do repairs in your house or car.voice box (voice boxes)
[N-COUNT]
Your voice box is the top part of the tube that leads from your throat to your lungs, which contains your vocal cords.
= larynxwin|dow box (window boxes)
[N-COUNT]
A window box is a long narrow container on a shelf at the bottom of a window and is used for growing plants.wit|ness box
[N-SING] the N
The witness box in a court of law is the place where people stand or sit when they are giving evidence. (BRIT; in AM, use witness stand)