box

I. noun (plural box or boxes) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from Latin buxus, from Greek pyxos Date: before 12th century an evergreen shrub or small tree (genus Buxus of the family Buxaceae, the box family) with opposite entire leaves and capsular fruits; especially a widely cultivated shrub (B. sempervirens) used for hedges, borders, and topiary figures II. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin buxis, from Greek pyxis, from pyxos box tree Date: before 12th century 1. a rigid typically rectangular container with or without a cover <

a cigar box

>: as a. an open cargo container of a vehicle b. coffin 2. the contents of a box especially as a measure of quantity 3. a box or boxlike container and its contents: as a. British a gift in a box b. an automobile transmission c. television d. a signaling apparatus <

alarm box

> e. a usually self-contained piece of electronic equipment f. boom box 4. an often small space, compartment, or enclosure: as a. an enclosed group of seats for spectators (as in a theater or stadium) b. a driver's seat on a carriage or coach c. a cell for holding mail d. British box stall e. penalty box 5. a usually rectangular space that is frequently outlined or demarcated on a surface: as a. any of six spaces on a baseball diamond where the batter, coaches, pitcher, and catcher stand b. a space on a page for printed matter or in which to make a mark 6. predicament, fix 7. a cubical building 8. the limitations of conventionality <

trying to think outside the box

> • boxful noun • boxlike adjective III. transitive verb Date: 15th century 1. to enclose in or as if in a box 2. to hem in (as an opponent) — usually used with in, out, or up <

boxed out the tackle

> IV. noun Etymology: Middle English Date: 14th century a punch or slap especially on the ear V. verb Date: 1519 transitive verb 1. to hit (as the ears) with the hand 2. to engage in boxing with intransitive verb to fight with the fists ; engage in boxing VI. transitive verb Etymology: probably from Spanish bojar to circumnavigate, from Catalan vogir to turn, from Latin volvere to roll — more at voluble Date: 1713 to name the 32 points of (the compass) in their order — used figuratively in the phrase box the compass to describe making a complete reversal