box
- box
\ \ English has two distinct words box. The ‘receptacle’ [OE] probably comes from late Latin buxis, a variant of Latin pyxis (whence English pyx ‘container for Communion bread’ [14]). This was borrowed from Greek puxís, which originally meant not simply ‘box’, but specifically ‘box made of wood’; for it was a derivative of Greek púxos, which via Latin buxus has given English box the tree [OE]. Box ‘fight with the fists’ first appeared in English as a noun, meaning ‘blow’ [14], now preserved mainly in ‘a box round the ears’. Its ancestry is uncertain: it may be related to Middle Dutch bōke and Danish bask ‘blow’, or it could simply be an obscure metaphorical extension of box ‘receptacle’.
\ \ Cf.⇒ PYX
Word origins - 2ed.
J. Ayto.
2005.
Synonyms:
Look at other dictionaries:
box — box … Dictionnaire des rimes
Box — describes a variety of containers and receptacles. When no specific shape is described, a typical rectangular box may be expected. Nevertheless, a box may have a horizontal cross section that is square, elongated, round or oval; sloped or domed… … Wikipedia
Box — Box, n.; pl. {Boxes} [As. box a small case or vessel with a cover; akin to OHG. buhsa box, G. b[ u]chse; fr. L. buxus boxwood, anything made of boxwood. See {Pyx}, and cf. {Box} a tree, {Bushel}.] 1. A receptacle or case of any firm material and… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
box — box; box·en; box·i·ness; box·man; box·wal·lah; car·box·yl; car·box·yl·ase; car·box·yl·ic; car·box·y·meth·yl; car·box·y·pep·ti·dase; em·box; juke·box; touch·box; un·box; econ·o·box; ho·meo·box; iso·car·box·az·id; kick·box; kick·box·ing;… … English syllables
Box — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Pour l’article homophone, voir Boxe. {{{image}}} … Wikipédia en Français
box — box1 [bäks] n. [ME & OE, a container, box < VL buxis < L buxus, boxwood < Gr pyxos] 1. any of various kinds of containers, usually rectangular and lidded, made of cardboard, wood, or other stiff material; case; carton 2. the contents or… … English World dictionary
BOX — Beschreibung Bundesweites Magazin für die Community Verlag BOX Medien GmbH Erstausgabe … Deutsch Wikipedia
Box — (lat. buxis ‚Büchse‘) steht für: Box (Zeitschrift), eine Zeitschrift für Schwule Mailbox (Computer) Lautsprecherbox Boxkamera allgemein einen quader oder würfelförmiger Behälter, siehe z. B. Paketbox ein Abteil in einem Stall eine… … Deutsch Wikipedia
box — Ⅰ. box [1] ► NOUN 1) a container with a flat base and sides and a lid. 2) an area enclosed within straight lines on a page or computer screen. 3) an enclosed area reserved for a group of people in a theatre or sports ground, or for witnesses or… … English terms dictionary
Box — (b[o^]ks), n. [As. box, L. buxus, fr. Gr. ?. See {Box} a case.] (Bot.) A tree or shrub, flourishing in different parts of the world. The common box ({Buxus sempervirens}) has two varieties, one of which, the dwarf box ({Buxus suffruticosa}), is… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Box 13 — was a syndicated radio series about the escapades of newspaperman turned mystery novelist Dan Holliday, played by film star Alan Ladd. Created by Ladd s company, Mayfair Productions, Box 13 premiered August 22, 1948, on Mutual s New York flagship … Wikipedia