box
box Lexical Profile
box Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A container with a flat base and sides, typically square or rectangular and having a lid.
"She carefully packed the delicate glasses into a cardboard box for the move."
A slow-growing European evergreen shrub or small tree with small leathery leaves, widely used for formal hedges and topiary.
"The manor's famous garden featured intricate mazes made entirely of carefully trimmed box."
A blow with the fist or hand, especially on the ears or the side of the head.
"The impatient schoolmaster threatened him with a box on the ear."
• verb
To put or pack something into a box or boxes.
"They spent the entire weekend trying to box up their belongings before the moving truck arrived."
To fight an opponent using the fists, typically in a padded ring under a formalized set of rules.
"He trains five days a week and hopes to box professionally in the near future."
To hit someone with the hand, especially on the ears or the side of the head.
"Frustrated by the constant interruptions, she threatened to box his ears if he did not quiet down."
• Rhymes for box
Word Origin & Etymology
The noun for a container originates from Old English 'box', derived via Latin 'buxis' from the Greek 'pyxis', originally referring to a container made of boxwood. The verb meaning 'to fight with fists' is of uncertain origin, appearing in the 16th century, possibly related to Middle Dutch 'boke' (a blow).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.