noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:SH OW1 B AA0 K S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The box in which shoes are sold.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
In one shoebox he had a whole collection of seeds he had saved from last year.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A small, cramped residence or similar space.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
an oblong rectangular (usually cardboard) box designed to hold a pair of shoes
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: box
4
noun
Meaning 4
a structure resembling a shoebox (as a rectangular building or a cramped room or compartment)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: structure, construction
History
Etymology
From shoe + box.
Across languages
Translations
18 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
鞋盒
(xiéhé)
— box in which shoes are sold
Dutch:
schoenendoos
— box in which shoes are sold
Esperanto:
ŝuujo
— box in which shoes are sold
Faroese:
skógvaeskja
— box in which shoes are sold
Finnish:
kenkälaatikko
— box in which shoes are sold
French:
boîte à chaussures
— box in which shoes are sold
German:
Schuhschachtel
— box in which shoes are sold
German:
Schuhkarton
— box in which shoes are sold
Hungarian:
cipősdoboz
— box in which shoes are sold
Italian:
scatola da scarpe
— box in which shoes are sold
Japanese:
靴箱
(kutsubako)
— box in which shoes are sold
Norwegian Bokmål:
skoeske
— box in which shoes are sold
Norwegian Nynorsk:
skoeske
— box in which shoes are sold
Polish:
pudełko na buty
— box in which shoes are sold
Russian:
коробка для обуви
(korobka dlja obuvi)
— box in which shoes are sold
Swedish:
skokartong
— box in which shoes are sold
Turkish:
ayakkabı kutusu
— box in which shoes are sold
Russian:
крохотная каморка
(kroxotnaja kamorka)
— a small, cramped residence or similar space.