# boxing

/ˈbɑksɪŋ/ (US) · /bˈɒksɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/boxing
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. the sport

noun · CEFR A2

a sport where two people wearing large gloves hit each other with their fists.

For teachers: a combat sport in which two participants, typically wearing protective gloves, throw punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time in a boxing ring.

- He started boxing at the local gym to improve his fitness and strength.
- Professional boxing requires an extraordinary level of cardiovascular endurance and mental discipline to withstand twelve rounds of high-intensity combat.

### 2. putting in boxes

verb · CEFR B1

the act of putting things into boxes to move or sell them.

For teachers: the action of enclosing or packing items into boxes or similar containers.

- We spent the whole weekend boxing up our books before the move.
- The factory automated the boxing process to ensure that every fragile component was securely cushioned before shipment.

### 3. programming

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

in computer science, turning a simple piece of data into a more complex object.

For teachers: the process of converting a value type to a reference type by wrapping it in an object.

- The software slowed down because it was doing too much boxing of small numbers.
- Frequent boxing and unboxing operations can lead to significant performance overhead due to increased memory allocation on the heap.

Usage: The term is usually paired with its opposite, 'unboxing'.

## Examples

- He goes to the gym every evening to practice boxing.
- Professional boxing matches are divided into rounds, with short breaks in between for the athletes to recover.
- While critics argue that boxing is inherently dangerous, proponents suggest that the discipline and physical conditioning required for the sport offer significant benefits to young athletes.

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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.