Word of the Day: Box

box / bäks noun 1. a container or receptacle, typically rectangular in shape, and made of some type of rigid material, such as wood or metal Once the game is over, the King and pawn go into the same box. Italian Proverb   2. the quantity contained in a typically rectangular receptacle Venice of like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go. Truman Capote, 1924-1984   3. a television When we started in television, there was that magic box in the corner of the room, and ‘Oh my gosh – look what it’s doing!’ Betty White, 1922-   4. a small space or enclosure for spectators at an event Excepting a religious ceremonial, there is no occasion where greater dignity of manner is required of ladies and gentlemen both, than in occupying a box at the opera. Emily Post, 1872-1960   5. a mail receptacle If you are homeless, what does it mean not to have a post box where people can contact you; what does it mean not knowing where you’re going to sleep at the end of the day; what does it mean not having a place where you can store what little you might possess. Kumi Naidoo, 1965-   6. a seat for the driver of a carriage …he had his turn, and let whosoever will, mount on the box-seat of life again, and tip the coachman and handle the ribbons – he shall take that journey no more, no more forever. from ‘The Banshee’s Warning’ by Charlotte Riddell, 1832-1906   7. conventional limitations Instead of thinking outside the box, get rid of the box. Deepak Chopra, 1946-   8. a protective case, sometimes including its contents Marriage is like a three-speed gearbox – affection, friendship, love. Peter Ustinov, 1921-2004   verb 1. to put into a container There’s a vast difference between having a carload of miscellaneous facts sloshing around loose in your head and getting all mixed up in transit, and carrying the same assortment properly boxed and crated for convenient handling and immediate delivery. George Horace Lorimer, 1867-1937   2. to hit with the hand Once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. from ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass’ by Lewis Carroll, 1832-1898   3. to engage in a match of fighting with fists, usually gloved A good boxing competition gives one the sight of fine men in their prime, trained to the ounce, showing the highest shill, pluck and endurance in carrying out their attack and defense under strict rules of fair play and good temper. Robert Baden-Powell, 1857-1941