Collins English-English Dictionary

box [bɑks]

1. 1. n a receptacle or container made of wood, cardboard, etc, usually rectangular and having a removable or hinged lid

2. 2. n boxful the contents of such a receptacle or the amount it can contain

   he ate a whole box of chocolates

3. 3. n any of various containers for a specific purpose

   a money box

   letter box

4. 4. n [often in combination] any of various small cubicles, kiosks, or shelters

   a telephone box or callbox

   a sentry box

   a signal box on a railway

5. 5. n a separate compartment in a public place for a small group of people, as in a theatre or certain restaurants

6. 6. n an enclosure within a courtroom - See jury box witness box

7. 7. n a compartment for a horse in a stable or a vehicle - See loosebox horsebox

8. 8. n [Brit] a small country house occupied by sportsmen when following a field sport, esp shooting

9. 9. n a protective housing for machinery or mechanical parts

10. 10. n the contents of such a box

11. 11. n (in combination)

    a gearbox

12. 12. n a shaped device of light tough material worn by sportsmen to protect the genitals, esp in cricket

13. 13. n a section of printed matter on a page, enclosed by lines, a border, or white space

14. 14. n a central agency to which mail is addressed and from which it is collected or redistributed

    a post-office box

    to reply to a box number in a newspaper advertisement

15. 15. n the central part of a computer or the casing enclosing it

16. 16. n short for penalty box

17. 17. n [baseball] either of the designated areas for the batter or the pitcher

18. 18. n the raised seat on which the driver sits in a horse-drawn coach

19. 19. n [NZ] a wheeled container for transporting coal in a mine

20. 20. n [Austral and NZ] an accidental mixing of herds or flocks

21. 21. n a hole cut into the base of a tree to collect the sap

22. 22. n short for Christmas box

23. 23. n a device for dividing water into two or more ditches in an irrigation system

24. 24. n an informal name for a coffin

25. 25. n [taboo] [slang] the female genitals

26. 26. vt. [tr] to put into a box

27. 27. vt. [tr; usually foll by in or up] to prevent from moving freely; confine

28. 28. vt. [tr; foll by in] [printing] to enclose (text) within a ruled frame

29. 29. vt. [tr] to make a cut in the base of (a tree) in order to collect the sap

30. 30. vt. [tr] [Austral and NZ] to mix (flocks or herds) accidentally

31. 31. vt. [tr; sometimes foll by up] [NZ] to confuse

    I am all boxed up

32. 32. vt. short for boxhaul

33. 33. vt. [Etymology] Old English box, from Latin buxus from Greek puxos box³

box [bɑks]

1. 1. vt. [tr] to fight (an opponent) in a boxing match

2. 2. vi. [intr] to engage in boxing

3. 3. vt. [tr] to hit (a person) with the fist; punch or cuff

4. 4. n a punch with the fist, esp on the ear

5. 5. n [Etymology] C14: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to Dutch boken to shunt, push into position

box [bɑks]

1. 1. n a dense slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub of the genus Buxus, esp B. sempervirens, which has small shiny leaves and is used for hedges, borders, and garden mazes: family Buxaceae

2. 2. n the wood of this tree - See boxwood

3. 3. n any of several trees the timber or foliage of which resembles this tree, esp various species of Eucalyptus with rough bark

4. 4. n [Etymology] Old English, from Latin buxus