box

⁴

[ boks ]

/ bɒks /

verb (used with object)

Nautical. to boxhaul (often followed by off).

Meteorology. to fly around the center of a storm in a boxlike pattern in order to gather meteorological data: to box a storm.

Idioms for box

box the compass, Nautical. to recite all of the points of the compass in a clockwise order.

Origin of box

⁴

1745–55; probably < Spanish bojar to sail around, earlier boxar, perhaps < Catalan vogir to (cause to) turn ≪ Latin volvere (see revolve); influenced by box¹

Words nearby box

bowtel, bowwood, bowwow, bowyangs, bowyer, box, box beam, box bed, box bolt, box calf, box camera

British Dictionary definitions for box the compass (1 of 3)

box ¹

/ (bɒks) /

noun

a receptacle or container made of wood, cardboard, etc, usually rectangular and having a removable or hinged lid

Also called: boxful the contents of such a receptacle or the amount it can contain he ate a whole box of chocolates

any of various containers for a specific purpose a money box; letter box

(often in combination) any of various small cubicles, kiosks, or shelters a telephone box or callbox; a sentry box; a signal box on a railway

a separate compartment in a public place for a small group of people, as in a theatre or certain restaurants

an enclosure within a courtroom See jury box, witness box

a compartment for a horse in a stable or a vehicle See loosebox, horsebox

British a small country house occupied by sportsmen when following a field sport, esp shooting

a protective housing for machinery or mechanical parts
the contents of such a box
(in combination)a gearbox

a shaped device of light tough material worn by sportsmen to protect the genitals, esp in cricket

a section of printed matter on a page, enclosed by lines, a border, or white space

a central agency to which mail is addressed and from which it is collected or redistributed a post-office box; to reply to a box number in a newspaper advertisement

the central part of a computer or the casing enclosing it

short for penalty box

baseball either of the designated areas in which the batter may stand

the raised seat on which the driver sits in a horse-drawn coach

NZ a wheeled container for transporting coal in a mine

Australian and NZ an accidental mixing of herds or flocks

a hole cut into the base of a tree to collect the sap

short for Christmas box

a device for dividing water into two or more ditches in an irrigation system

an informal name for a coffin

taboo, slang the female genitals

be a box of birds NZ to be very well indeed

the box British informal television

think outside the box or think out of the box to think in a different, innovative, or original manner, esp with regard to business practices, products, systems, etc

tick all the boxes to satisfy all of the apparent requirements for success

out of the box Australian informal outstanding or excellent a day out of the box

verb

(tr) to put into a box

(tr ; usually foll by in or up) to prevent from moving freely; confine

(tr foll by in) printing to enclose (text) within a ruled frame

(tr) to make a cut in the base of (a tree) in order to collect the sap

(tr) Australian and NZ to mix (flocks or herds) accidentally

(tr sometimes foll by up) NZ to confuse I am all boxed up

nautical short for boxhaul

box the compass nautical to name the compass points in order

Derived forms of box

boxlike, adjective

Word Origin for box

Old English box, from Latin buxus from Greek puxos box ³

British Dictionary definitions for box the compass (2 of 3)

box ²

/ (bɒks) /

verb

(tr) to fight (an opponent) in a boxing match

(intr) to engage in boxing

(tr) to hit (a person) with the fist; punch or cuff

box clever to behave in a careful and cunning way

noun

a punch with the fist, esp on the ear

Word Origin for box

C14: of uncertain origin; perhaps related to Dutch boken to shunt, push into position

British Dictionary definitions for box the compass (3 of 3)

box ³

/ (bɒks) /

noun

a dense slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub of the genus Buxus, esp B. sempervirens, which has small shiny leaves and is used for hedges, borders, and garden mazes: family Buxaceae

the wood of this tree See boxwood (def. 1)

any of several trees the timber or foliage of which resembles this tree, esp various species of Eucalyptus with rough bark

Word Origin for box

Old English, from Latin buxus

Idioms and Phrases with box the compass (1 of 2)

box the compass

Make a complete turnabout or reversal, as in With a change of ownership, the editorial page boxed the compass politically, now supporting the Senator. Originally this was (and continues to be) a nautical term, meaning “repeat the 32 points of the compass in order.” In the early 1800s it began to be used figuratively.

Idioms and Phrases with box the compass (2 of 2)

box

In addition to the idioms beginning with box

box office
box score
box the compass

also see:

in a bind (box)
on one's soapbox
pandora's box
stuff the ballot box

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

box

verb (used with object)

Idioms for box

Origin of box

Words nearby box

British Dictionary definitions for box the compass (1 of 3)

noun

verb

Derived forms of box

Word Origin for box

British Dictionary definitions for box the compass (2 of 3)

verb

noun

Word Origin for box

British Dictionary definitions for box the compass (3 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for box

Idioms and Phrases with box the compass (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with box the compass (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

box

verb (used with object)

Idioms for box

Origin of box

Words nearby box

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for box the compass (1 of 3)

noun

verb

Derived forms of box

Word Origin for box

British Dictionary definitions for box the compass (2 of 3)

verb

noun

Word Origin for box

British Dictionary definitions for box the compass (3 of 3)

noun

Word Origin for box

Idioms and Phrases with box the compass (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with box the compass (2 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for box the compass (1 of 3)