~ 1
■ noun
1》 a container with a flat base and sides and a lid.
↘( the ~ ) informal, chiefly Brit. television.
2》 an area enclosed within straight lines on a page or computer screen, to be filled in with or containing information.
3》 ( the ~ ) Soccer the penalty area.
↘ Baseball the area occupied by the batter.
4》 an enclosed area reserved for people in a theatre or sports ground, or for witnesses or the jury in a law court.
5》 a protective casing for part of a mechanism.
↘ Brit. a shield for protecting a man's genitals in sport, especially cricket.
6》 a facility at a newspaper office for receiving replies to an advertisement.
↘a facility at a post office whereby letters are kept until collected by the addressee.
7》 Brit. a small country house used when shooting or fishing.
8》 historical a coachman's seat.
■ verb
1》 [often as adjective ~ed ] put in or provide with a ~.
2》 ( ~ someone in ) restrict someone's ability to move freely.
Phrases
out of one's ~ Brit. informal intoxicated with alcohol or drugs.
think outside the ~ informal have ideas that are original or creative.
Derivatives
~ful noun ( plural ~fuls ).
~-like adjective
Origin
OE, prob. from late L. buxis , from L. pyxis '~wood ~', from Gk puxos (see ~ 3 ).
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~ 2
■ verb fight an opponent with the fists in padded gloves as a sport.
■ noun a slap on the side of a person's head.
Phrases
~ clever Brit. informal outwit someone.
~ someone's ears slap someone on the side of the head.
Derivatives
~ing noun
Origin
ME: of unknown origin.
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~ 3
(also ~ tree )
■ noun a slow-growing evergreen shrub with small glossy leaves, yielding hard wood. [ Buxus sempervirens .]
↘any of various other trees with similar foliage or wood. [ Casearia praecox (tropical America) and other species.]
Origin
OE, via L. from Gk puxos .
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~ 4
■ verb (in phr. ~ the compass ) recite the compass points in correct order.
Origin
C18: perh. from Sp. bojar 'sail round', from Mid. Low Ger. bōgen 'bend', from the base of bow 1 .