Meaning of box In English

• 0 a square or rectangular container with stiff sides and sometimes a lid:

  • a cardboard box

  • a cigar box

  • a matchbox

  • a box of matches

  • He ate a whole box of chocolates.

• 1 any square or rectangular space on a form, sports field, road, etc., separated from the main area by lines:

  • If you would like more information, put an X in the box.

  • a jury/phone box

  • Their new house is just a box (= very small).

  • Can you see Prince Charles in the royal box?

• 2 television:

  • There's nothing worth watching on the box tonight.

• 3 a box with a number in a post office to which your letters can be sent and from which you can collect them

• 4 a small evergreen tree (= one that never loses its leaves) with small, shiny leaves

• 5 to fight someone in the sport of boxing:

  • He used to box every weekend.

  • I've boxed (against) some of the best.

• 6 to put something in a box:

  • I boxed up some clothes and books to donate to charity.

• 7 a container with stiff sides, shaped like a rectangle, or the contents of such a container:

  • a cardboard/cereal box

  • a box of chocolates (= the container and its contents)

  • If you want to receive electronic updates, put a check in the box.

  • the jury box

• 8 to put something in a box:

  • [ M ] Someone from the nursing home must have boxed up his clothes.

  • [ M ] fig. My car was boxed in (= blocked) by two other cars, and I couldn’t get out.

• 9 to fight someone or be active in the sport of boxing:

  • [ I/T ] I’d like to box him, and there’s a chance that we will box again in Germany.

• 10 a square or rectangular container with stiff sides and sometimes a lid:

  • Books are packed in cardboard boxes and are shipped direct to buyers' homes.

  • a shipping/storage/packaging box

• 11 a box and its contents, or just the contents of the box:

  • Florida will produce 132 million boxes of oranges this season.

• 12 any square or rectangular space on a form or computer screen which is separated from the main area by lines:

  • For tips on how to conduct your search, see the box on this page.

  • For more information, tick the box on the coupon.

  • In the box calling for a model number put 'unknown'.

• 13 →  box number

• 14 →  PO Box

• 15 →  set-top box

• 16 a small area with seats which is separate from the other seats in a theatre or at the side of a sports field:

  • We will have a producer and a reporter in the press box feeding a play-by-play to the internet as the action unfolds.

  • stadium box seats

• 17 to put something in a box:

  • About 3,000 workers busily boxed up millions of plastic toys.