# box

/ˈbɑks/ (US) · /bˈɒks/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/box
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a container

noun · CEFR A1

a container with flat sides and a lid, usually made of cardboard, wood, or plastic.

For teachers: a rigid container, typically rectangular, with a base and four sides, often including a lid.

- We packed all the kitchen plates into a large cardboard box.
- The courier delivered a reinforced wooden box containing the fragile laboratory equipment late Tuesday afternoon.

### 2. square on a form

noun · CEFR A2

a small square on a piece of paper or screen where you put a mark or information.

For teachers: a rectangular area on a document or digital interface designated for specific data entry or a checkmark.

- Please tick the box if you would like to receive our newsletter.
- The applicant failed to sign the declaration box at the bottom of the second page, rendering the form invalid.

### 3. theatre/stadium seating

noun · CEFR B2

a small, private area for a group of people to sit in a theatre or stadium.

For teachers: a separate compartment or partitioned seating area in a theatre, opera house, or sports arena for the use of a small group.

- They watched the opera from a private box near the stage.
- The corporate sponsors occupied the luxury box, which offered an unobstructed view of the finish line and catered refreshments.

### 4. television

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal · British English

an informal word for a television set.

For teachers: a common metonym for a television set, reflecting its historically boxy physical form.

- There is nothing good on the box tonight, so let's read instead.
- He spent the entire rainy Sunday afternoon slumped on the sofa, staring aimlessly at whatever was on the box.

### 5. vulgar slang for vagina

noun · CEFR C2 · Vulgar · Slang

a very rude word for a woman's sex organs.

For teachers: a vulgar slang term referring to the female genitalia.

- The comedian was told to stop using words like box in his act.
- The script was heavily edited to remove several instances of the word box used in a derogatory sexual context.

### 6. a type of tree

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a small evergreen tree or bush often used for garden hedges.

For teachers: any of various evergreen shrubs or trees of the genus Buxus, valued for dense foliage and hard wood.

- The gardener trimmed the box hedge into the shape of a bird.
- The artisan preferred using seasoned box for wood engraving due to its exceptionally fine grain and uniform density.

### 7. to fight

verb · CEFR A2

to fight someone as a sport using your fists and wearing thick gloves.

For teachers: to engage in the sport of pugilism; to strike an opponent with the fists in a regulated match.

- He started to box when he was ten years old to gain confidence.
- The heavyweight champion will box his mandatory challenger in a twelve-round bout scheduled for next month in Las Vegas.

### 8. to pack

verb · CEFR B1

to put things into a box.

For teachers: to enclose or pack items into a box for storage or transport.

- We need to box these books before the moving truck arrives.
- The factory workers box the finished components immediately after they pass the final quality control inspection.

### 9. to trap or enclose

verb · CEFR B2

to surround someone or something so they cannot move away.

For teachers: to surround and restrict the movement of a person or object; frequently used in the phrasal verb 'box in'.

- The other cars boxed him in so he couldn't leave the parking space.
- The tactical unit managed to box the suspect's vehicle in at the end of the narrow alleyway.

## Examples

- She puts her old photos in a box.
- We packed all the books into a large cardboard box before moving house.
- The antique music box, crafted from polished mahogany, held not only the intricate mechanism but also a century of unspoken family memories.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.