box

1 noun

1 CONTAINER (C) a container for putting things in, especially one with four stiff straight sides

(+ of): a box of tissues | a matchbox | cardboard/wooden box: You need a filing cabinet, not all these cardboard boxes. | toolbox/shoebox etc (=used for keeping tools etc in)

2 AMOUNT IN A BOX also boxful (C) the amount that a box can hold

(+ of): a box of chocolates

3 SQUARE SHAPE (C) a small square on a page for people to write information in: Put an `X' in the box if you would like to join our mailing list.

4 IN A THEATRE/COURT (C) a small area of a theatre or court that is separate from where other people are sitting: the jury box

5 box 25/450 etc an address at a post office that people can use instead of their own address; po box

6 SPORTS FIELD (C) a special area of a sports field that is marked by lines and used for a particular purpose: a penalty box

7 WORN DURING SPORTS (C) BrE a piece of plastic that a man wears over his sex organs to protect them when he is playing a sport, especially cricket (2)

8 (C) informal a coffin

9 TREE (C, U) a small tree that keeps its leaves in winter and is often planted around the edge of a garden or field, or the wood from this tree: a box hedge

10 give sb a box on the ears old-fashioned to hit someone on the side of their head

11 the box informal the television: What's on the box tonight?

12 be out of your box BrE slang to be very drunk

-see also: black box 2 verb

1 (I, T) to fight someone as a sport by hitting them with your closed hands inside big leather gloves (glove (2))

2 also box up (T) to put things in boxes

-see also: boxed

3 (T) to draw a box around something on a page

4 box sb's ears old-fashioned to hit someone on the side of their head