box

The word “box” means a rigid container, typically rectangular, with a lid or flaps, used to hold or transport things. In plain terms, a container for holding things, or the sport of fighting with the fists.

“Box” is pronounced boks (/bɑks/ in IPA).

Here is “box” used in a sentence: “She packed her books into a cardboard box before the move.”

The opposite of “box” — its antonyms — are unbox, uncase and unpack.

Depending on how it is used, “box” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “box” comes from Ancient Greek. Traces back through Old English "box" and Late Latin "buxis" to Ancient Greek "pyxis," a small container originally made of boxwood.

“Box” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Box” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a rigid container, typically rectangular, with a lid or flaps, used to hold or transport things.

A carton is a box made of cardboard or thin card, usually for packaging goods such as milk, eggs, or juice. Box is the broader word and covers containers made of wood, plastic, metal, or card. So every carton is a box, but a wooden or plastic box is not a carton.

Boxes are usually described by material or purpose, including cardboard boxes for moving and posting, wooden crates for heavy goods, plastic storage boxes, gift boxes, toolboxes, and shoeboxes. They range from tiny jewellery boxes to large packing cases, but all are rigid containers made to hold or carry things.

A cardboard moving box is a classic example, a rigid, rectangular container with flaps that fold shut on top. Other everyday examples include a shoebox, a gift box, a toolbox, and a cereal box. Each is a stiff-sided container used to hold, store, or transport its contents.