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Definition of breadbox

breadbox

/ˈbrɛd.bɑːks/
bread · box
Plural:breadboxes
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breadbox Lexical Profile

breadbox Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American A container typically kept on a kitchen counter, designed for storing bread and other baked goods to keep them fresh and protect them from pests.

Example

"She placed the freshly baked sourdough loaf into the wooden breadbox on the kitchen counter."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for breadbox

Word Nuance & Usage

The term is most famously associated with the mid-20th-century parlor game question 'Is it bigger than a breadbox?', popularized by Steve Allen on the American television show 'What's My Line?' to establish a baseline for an object's size.

• Rhymes for breadbox

• Nearby Words

breadbasket
breadbin
breadboard
breadbox
breadcrumb
breadcrumbing
breadcrumbs

Word Origin & Etymology

An American English compound word formed by combining 'bread' and 'box', first recorded in the late 19th century to describe a standard kitchen container designed to keep baked goods fresh.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Breadbox. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 6, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/breadbox
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