box

• A terrible voice in the hall cried, "Bring down Master Scrooge's box, there!" and in the hall appeared the schoolmaster himself, who glared on Master Scrooge with a ferocious condescension, and threw him into a dreadful state of mind by shaking hands with him.1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Two. The First of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 55:
• The huge square box, parquet-floored and high-ceilinged, had been arranged to display a suite of bedroom furniture designed and made in the halcyon days of the last quarter of the nineteenth century, when modish taste was just due to go clean out of fashion for the best part of the next hundred years.1963, Margery Allingham, “The Elopers”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 33:

• a box of books
• He brought me also a Box of Sugar, a Box of Flour, a Bag full of Lemons, and two Bottles of Lime-juice, and abundance of other Things: […]1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 325:

• post box  post office box
• She'd picked up the high-tech phone from a post office box in Toronto a month ago. The key to that box had been mailed to a post office box in New York City. The Russians loved their cloak-and-dagger, particularly former KGB and Spetsnaz, Soviet special forces who ran the mafia, […]2015 March, Cindy Gerard, chapter 10, in Running Blind, 1st Pocket Books paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, →ISBN, page 73:

• Add five words for address if replies are to come to a box number address at any of our offices. These replies are forwarded each day as received, in new envelopes at no extra charge. […] When replying to blind ads be careful to put on your envelope the correct box number and do not enclose original letters of recommendation—send copies.1924 December 1, “The Broadcaster: A Department that will Find what You Want: A Central Clearing House for All Your Business Wants”, in C. A. Musselman, editor, Automobile Trade Journal, volume XXIX, number 6, Philadelphia, Pa.: Chilton Company, […], →OCLC, page 618, column 2:

• There is yet a better manner of arranging the boxes; and for which invention we are indebted to Andrea Sighizzi, the ſcholar of [Francesco] Brizio and Dentone; […] The plan he followed was, that the boxes, according as they were to be removed from the ſtage towards the bottom of the theatre, ſhould continue gradually riſing by ſome inches one above the other, and gradually receding to the ſides by ſome inches; by which means, every box would have a more commodious view of the ſtage; […]1767, [Francesco] Algarotti, “On the Structure of Theatres”, in An Essay on the Opera Written in Italian, London: Printed for L. Davis and C. Reymers, →OCLC, pages 101–102:
• One night he proposed a champagne supper, to which, he said he had invited a friend of his. I consented without hesitation, and soon after we proceeded to an eating house and seating ourselves in a private box, ordered supper.1861, E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley, page 18:

• Next in importance to the Dvornik comes the coachman of a Russian household. He is usually chosen for his fatness and the length of his beard. These seem curious reasons for choosing a coachman in a country where coach-boxes are smaller than anywhere else in the world; but whereas the average breadth of a Russian coach-box is scarcely more than twelve inches at the outside, the average breadth of a Russian coachman is a very different affair.1868 April 18, “Among Russian Peasantry”, in Charles Dickens, editor, All the Year Round. A Weekly Journal. [...] With which is Incorporated Household Words, volume XIX, number 469, London: Published at No. 26, Wellington Street; and by Messrs. Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, page 440, column 1:

• sentry-box
• [M]y uncle Toby […] treated himſelf with a handſome ſentry-box, to ſtand at the corner of the bowling-green, betwixt which point and the foot of the glacis, there was left a little kind of eſplanade for him and the corporal to confer and hold councils of war upon. / —The ſentry-box was in caſe of rain.1762, [Laurence Sterne], chapter XXII, in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume VI, London: […] T. Becket and P. A. Dehondt, […], →OCLC, page 95:

• He was a fine-looking middle-aged man, and his voice said at once that he expected to be obeyed. He was very friendly and polite to John, and after giving us a slight look, he called a groom to take us to our boxes, and invited John to take some refreshment.[1877], Anna Sewell, “Earlshall”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part II, page 101:

• They were capable of climbing most hills in second low but for this exercise we decided to go for the bottom of the box, just to be sure.2000, Bob Foster, Birdum or Bust!, Henley Beach, SA: Seaview Press, page 181:

• Thinkin' like Roddy, got a stick in the box (Roddy) Hide in another car, we just blickin' the opps (Bah)2023 May 24, “Bounce”, PGF Nuk (lyrics):

• Sparks from the derailed bogie of the train were first noticed by the signalman at Slough West box, who immediately sent to Slough Middle box the "Stop and Examine" signal, followed at once by "Obstruction Danger" when he realised that the coach was derailed.1960 March, “Talking of Trains: The Slough derailment”, in Trains Illustrated, page 132:

• I’m really in a box now.
• He was going straight for the jugular. "Joe, this didn't make me afraid. I've done rescues before." / "Then you'll have no problem saying yes." / Her eyes narrowed. He was putting her in a box and doing it deliberately. There were times when his kind of leadership made her cringe.2000, Dee Henderson, chapter 5, in True Devotion (Uncommon Heroes; book 1), Sisters, Or.: Palisades, →ISBN; republished Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005, →ISBN, page 67:

• I am in what you call 'the box' confined to a 'special' housing unit for punishment because I stabbed some guys who call they self godly and are always beaten up on gays and she males because they hate homosexuals.1987 August 15, Alberto Rodriguez, “What's Your Opinion, Brothers & Sisters?”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 5, page 4:
• He is fearless and contemptuous, apparently able to withstand any discipline—including nights “in the box” […]2003, Elayne Rapping, Law and Justice as Seen on TV, page 83:

• Prior to the explosion we spoke about what would happen if he [Lance-Corporal James Simpson] died and came back in a box and what music he would want at his funeral.2010 March 6, Pauline Rogers (interviewee), “Soldier who lost both legs in Afghanistan wants to return to frontline”, in The Telegraph, London, archived from the original on 24 May 2010:

Preceded by the

• Mr. Wormwood switched on the television. The screen lit up. The programme blared. Mr Wormwood glared at Matilda. She hadn't moved. She had somehow trained herself by now to block her ears to the ghastly sound of the dreaded box. She kept right on reading, and for some reason this infuriated the father.1988, Roald Dahl, “The Ghost”, in Matilda, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN; republished as “The Ghost”, in Matilda, New York, N.Y.: Puffin Books, 2007, →ISBN:

• Without warning, he withdrew his finger and drove his tongue inside her creamy, hot box. She gave a sharp intake of breath.2015 March, Allison Hobbs, Karen E. Quinones Miller, “Cheryl”, in Hittin’ It Out the Park: A Novel (Zane Presents), trade paperback edition, Largo, Md.: Strebor Books, →ISBN, page 27:

• a UNIX box
• i can't seem to find any how-to regarding connecting a terminal to a linux boxen via parallel port …1996 January 15, Siu Ha Vivian Chu, “DEC vt320 → linux boxen”, in comp.os.linux.networking (Usenet), message-ID <4dceos$gg7@morgoth.sfu.ca>:

• Joshua Newman, until last month a co-owner of CrossFit NYC, which says it is the world's largest box, recalled a member in the gym's early days who was nicknamed "Welcoming Committee."2014 August 8, Courtney Rubin, “CrossFit Flirting: Talk Burpee to Me”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 16 Jun 2022:
• Ter Kuile says people will sometimes bring their kids to their CrossFit "box," which is CrossFit for "gym."2017 June 24, Julie Beck, “How CrossFit Acts Like a Religion”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 25 Dec 2022:

• His [Rory Bremner's] brilliant story about having his box turned inside out by a delivery from Jeff Thomson – he contrasts it with Andrew Flintoff being hit in the box by Cardigan Connor. [David] Lloyd came up to Flintoff, and said, "Cardigan Connor? You consider it an honour to be hit by Cardigan. Do you remember Jeff Thomson? I was hit amidships by him, and it was not a glancing blow. I was wearing one of those old boxes – you know, the pink ones, like a soap dish. It ended up that everything that was supposed to be inside the box had come outside the box – through the air holes!"2011, John Duncan, “Rory Bremner”, in Cricket Wonderful Cricket, London: John Blake Publishing, →ISBN:

• In common axles, the wheel is prevented from coming off by a pin, called the linch pin, passing through the end of the axletree arm, the name of the part that the wheel turns upon; but as many serious accidents have happened through the linch pin failing and the wheel coming off, an improved method of securing the latter is now practised, by means of a box called the axletree box, which is contrived to answer the double purpose of keeping on the wheel, and to hold oil, grease, or some lubricating substance for lessening the friction.1844, Thomas Webster, assisted by the late Mrs. [William] Parkes, “[Book XXIII. Carriages.] Chap. VI. Various Details Respecting the Parts of a Carriage.”, in An Encyclopædia of Domestic Economy: […], London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, […], →OCLC, paragraph 6684, page 1124:

• In electric fencing, foil and saber fencers wear lames, which are thin outer jackets that cover their target areas. Lames are made from fabric that conducts electricity. When a fencer touches an opponent's lame with his or her blade, an electronic signal is sent to the scoring box. A colored light goes on to signal a touch. […] In épée, the whole body is the target, so épée fencers do not need to wear lames. A signal is sent to the scoring box from the épée any time a touch is made.2009, Suzanne Slade, “Electric Fencing: Get Hooked Up”, in Fencing for Fun!, Mankato, Minn.: Compass Point Books, →ISBN, pages 30–31:

• “I dare say the sheriff, or the mayor and corporation, or some of those sort of people, would give him money enough, for the use of it, to run him up a mighty pretty neat little box somewhere near Richmond.”1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia, III.vi.9:
• Suburban villas, highway-ſide retreats, / That dread th' encroachment of our growing ſtreets, / Tight boxes, neatly ſaſh'd, and in a blaze / With all a July ſun's collected rays, / Delight the citizen, who gaſping there, / Breathes clouds of duſt and calls it country air.1782, William Cowper, “Retirement”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 282:

• So Tea Cake took the guitar and played himself. He was glad of the chance because he hadn't had his hand on a box since he put his in the pawn shop to get some money to hire a car for Janie soon after he met her.1937, Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Amistad, published 2013, page 123:

• Place a tick in the box.
• This text would stand out better if we put it in a coloured box.

• As anyone who has ever maintained a baseball or softball diamond would agree, the pitcher's mound and batter's box present a special challenge. […] Batters dig in at the plate, disturbing the soil and making a hole that base runners must slide across when they approach the plate. To withstand the special stresses on these areas, only clay-based soils provide the necessary soil strength. […] [S]ome manufacturers have introduced clay-based soil products for pitcher's mounds and batter's boxes. These products include additives with special binding properties and are specifically designed to resist the stresses applied by the cleats of pitchers and batters.2003, Jim Puhalla, Jeff Krans, Mike Goatley, “Soil”, in Baseball and Softball Fields: Design, Construction, Renovation, and Maintenance, Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, part I (Design and Construction), section 3.3c, page 64:

• Similar considerations apply in the case of tRNA genes, where the internal promoter is split into two functional domains (box A and box B) which must be a minimum distance apart[…]. The first 11 bp of the internal control region in the Xenopus 5S gene are structurally and functionally homologous to the box A element of tRNA gene promoters, […]1990, David De Pomerai, “Gene Organisation and Control”, in From Gene to Animal: An Introduction to the Molecular Biology of Animal Development, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, section 1.3 (Transcriptional Control), page 11:

• Your hands rest on the bottom plane of the box, relaxed and open; forearms are parallel with the ground and elbows close to your body. Balls thrown from your right hand are aimed at the point to the left of center of the top of the box. When you hit this point the ball will land in your left hand. Balls thrown from your left hand are aimed at the point to the right of center of the top of the box.2010 April, Michael J. Gelb, 5 Keys to High Performance: Juggle Your Way to Success, [Prince Frederick, Md.]: Gildan Digital, →ISBN, part III (The Art of Juggling: Expanding Your Influence with Spheres):

• [page 12] Field players wear shoes with short spikes, called cleats, on the soles. Box players wear court shoes, which have grooved rubber soles. […] [page 30] Field goalies have larger nets to protect than goalies in box lacrosse have. Box goalies wear more pads.2003, John Crossingham, “The Essentials” and “Goaltending”, in Bobbie Kalman, editor, Lacrosse in Action (Sports in Action), New York, N.Y.; St. Catharines, Ont.: Crabtree Publishing Company, →ISBN, pages 12 and 30:

• Poised link-up play between [Michael] Essien and [Frank] Lampard set the Ghanaian midfielder free soon after but his left-footed shot from outside the box was too weak.2010 December 29, Chris Whyatt, “Chelsea 1 – 0 Bolton”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 16 Dec 2017:

• “Okay Lewis, so box this lap, box, box”2020 February 7, Greg Stuart, “A beginner’s guide to… F1 slang”, in F1:
• When a driver is told to 'box, box', they're being instructed to make a pitstop. This is because 'box' sounds more distinct than 'pit' over the team radio, so there's less chance of confusion leading to an error. The word itself refers to the painted box outside a team's garage where pit stops take place, although some argue that it hails from 'boxenstopp', which is German for 'pit stop'.2024 April 3, Joe Holding, Rebecca Braybrook, “What do DRS, black and white flag, porpoising and more mean? F1 terms explained”, in Autosport: