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What is the difference between box and case?

box | case |

Case is a synonym of box.



In transitive terms the difference between box and case

is that box is to fight against (a person) in a boxing match while case is to cover or protect with, or as if with, a case; to enclose.

As an adjective case is

the last remaining card of a particular rank.

box

English

(wikipedia box)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) box, from (etyl) .

Noun

(boxes)
  • A space; a container, usually with a hinged lid.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
  • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=1 citation , passage=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, […].}}
  • As much as fills a such a container.
  • A compartment of a storage furniture, or of a part of such a furniture, such as of a drawer, shelving, etc.
  • A compartment to sit in at a theater, courtroom or auditorium.
  • A small rectangular shelter like a booth.
  • a sentry box
  • A rectangle.
  • Place a tick or a cross in the box .
    This text would stand out better if we put it in a box of colour.
  • An input field on an interactive electronic display.
  • A numbered receptacle at a newspaper office for anonymous replies to advertisements.
  • A trap or predicament.
  • The driver's seat on a coach.
  • (cricket)  A hard protector for the genitals worn by a batsman or close fielder inside the underpants.
  • (engineering)  A cylindrical casing around for example a bearing or gland.
  • (football)  The penalty area.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2010 , date=December 29 , author=Chris Whyatt , title=Chelsea 1 - 0 Bolton , work=BBC citation , passage=Poised link-up play between Essien and Lampard set the Ghanaian midfielder free soon after but his left-footed shot from outside the box was too weak.}}
  • (computing, slang)  A computer, or the case in which it is housed.
  •   .
  • (slang, offensive)  The vagina.
  • (euphemistic)  Coffin.
  • (juggling)  A pattern usually performed with three balls where the movements of the balls make a boxlike shape.
  • Horse box.
  • * 1877 , (Anna Sewell), (Black Beauty) Chapter 22[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Black_Beauty/22]
  • 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.
  • (baseball) The rectangle in which the stands.
  • A Mediterranean food fish; the bogue.
  • (dated) A small country house.
  • a shooting box
    (Wilson)
  • * Cowper
  • tight boxes neatly sashed
  • (informal) box lacrosse
  • Usage notes
    * (computer) The whimsical plural (boxen) is occasionally used.
    Synonyms
    * (rectangular container) case, package * (as much as fills a box) boxful * (compartment to sit in) loge * (small shelter like a booth) shelter * (input field on an electronic display) text box * (sense, driver's seat on a coach) box seat * gash, pussy, twat * (television) telly (UK), tube, TV * computer, machine * (protector for the genitals) cup (US)
    Derived terms
    * airbox * apple-box * axle-box * ballot box * bandbox * beatbox * be in a box * be in the same box * be in the wrong box * bento box * bitty box * black box * blue box * boom box, boom-box, boombox * box and needle * box-anneal * box-annealing * box-back * boxball * box-barrage * box-beam * box-bed * box-bill * box-board, boxboard * box-club * box camera * box canyon * box-car, boxcar * box-cart * box-chronometer * box-churn * box-cloth * box-club * box coat * box-coil * box-colored, box-coloured * box-coupling * box-crab * box-cutter * box-day * box-desk * box-drain * boxen * box end wrench * boxer * box-feeding * box file * box-fish, boxfish * box-fitter * box-food * box frame, box-frame * boxful * box girder * box-grain * box-groove * box guitar * box-hand * box-hat * box-head, boxhead * box-hook * box-house * box-iron * box jellyfish * box junction * box-keeper, boxkeeper * box-keeperess * box-key * box kite * box lacrosse * boxlock * box-letter * box-level * box-lobby * box-loom * box lunch * box lyre * box magazine * boxmaker, boxmaking * box-man * box-master * box-mattress * box-meat * box-metal * box-money * box-motion * box number * box-nut * a box of birds * box of chocolates * box office, box-office * box of matches * box-ottoman * box-oyster * box-plan * box pleat * box-pleated * box-pleating * box profits * box-rent * box room, box-room, boxroom * box score * box seat, box-seat * box set, box-set * box-shutter * box-slater * box-sleigh * box social * box spanner * box spread * box spring, box-spring * box-square * box-stair * box-staircase * box stall * box-standard * box-staple * box step * box-stone * box-strap * box-string * box-swivel * box-tail * box-tappet * box-tenon * box-ticking * box-timbering * box-toe * box-tool * box top, box-top * box-tortoise * box-trap * box-tricycle * box turtle * box-valve * box-van * box-wagon * box-wallah * box wrench, box-wrench * boxy * brain box, brain-box, brainbox * breadbox * CAAT box * cable box * call box, call-box * cardboard box * cartridge-box * cash-box, cashbox * chatterbox * check box (checkbox) * Chinese boxes * chocolate-box * Christmas box * cigar box * clack-box * coachbox * coal-box * coin-box * collecting box * color-box, colour-box * comb-box * combo box (combobox) * coolbox * coupling-box * cracker-box * dead-letter box * deed-box * dialog box * dice-box, dicebox * dirt-box * dispatch-box * ditty-box * dog-box, dogbox * dredge-box * dredging-box * dressing-box * dressing-up box * drink box * driving-box * dumb as a box of rocks * dust-box * egg-box * embox * feed-box * feeding-box * fire-box, firebox * first-aid box * fishing box * flush-box * front box * fuse-box, fusebox * fuzz box, fuzzbox * gearbox * GC box * glory box * glove box, glovebox * goggle-box * Goldberg-Hogness box, Hogness box * grass box * hat-box, hatbox * hay-box, haybox * hell-box, hellbox * homeobox, homoeobox * horse box, horse-box, horsebox * hot box, hotbox * hunting box * icebox * idiot box * in-box, inbox * Jack-in-a-box, Jack-in-the-box, jack-in-the-box * jewel box, jewel-box * journal box * juice box * junction-box * jukebox * jury box * knife-box * knock out of the box * letterbox * light box * list box * live-box * lockbox * loose box, loosebox * love box * lunch box, lunch-box, lunchbox * magic box * mail-box, mailbox * marmalade box * matchbox * missionary-box * miter box, mitre box * money box, moneybox * moss-box * mud box * muscle-box * musical box * music-box * nest-box * nesting box * omnibus box * one out of the box * out-box, outbox * out of the box * packing box * paddle-box * paint box, paintbox * Pandora’s box * patch-box * pay box * peg-box * pegbox * penalty box * pepperbox * phone box * pillar box, pillar-box * pillbox * play-box, playbox * PO box * police box * poor box * post-box, postbox * post-office box * potato-box * pounce-box * pouncet-box * powder-box * power box * prattle-box * press box, press-box * private box * prompt-box * prompter's box * property box * puff box * rattlebox * resistance-box * safe-deposit box, safety-deposit box * salt-box, saltbox * sandbox * saucebox * savings-box * scent-box * search box * seed-box, seedbox * sentry box * set-top box * shoe-box, shoebox * shooting box * show-box * side box, side-box * signal box * Skinner box * six-yard box * skybox * sluice-box * slushbox * smoke-box, smokebox * snow box * snuffbox * soap-box, soapbox * sound box, sound-box, soundbox * spice-box * spitbox * spurious box * squawk box, squawk-box, squawkbox * squeeze-box, squeezebox * stage box * strong-box, strongbox * stuffing box, stuffing-box * sugar-box * suggestion box * swear box * sweat-box, sweatbox * swell box * tar-box * TATA box * T-box * telephone box * tell-box * text box (textbox) * thunder-box * tick all the boxes * tick box * tinder box, tinder-box, tinderbox * tobacco-box * toolbox * touch-box * tuck box * tucker-box * tumbling box, tumbling-box * unbox * upper box * vanity box, vanity-box * versing box * voice box, voice-box * wagon box * watch-box * weather-box * weigh-box * the whole box and dice * window-box * wine box * witness box, witness-box * work-box, workbox * writing-box * Yerkes discrimination box * yogibogeybox
    Descendants
    * Portuguese:

    Verb

    (es)
  • To place inside a box; to pack in boxes.
  • (usually with 'in') To hem in.
  • (computing) To place a value of a primitive type into a corresponding object.
  • To mix two containers of paint of similar color to ensure that the color is identical.
  • To furnish (e.g. a wheel) with boxes.
  • (architecture) To enclose with boarding, lathing, etc., so as to bring to a required form.
  • To make an incision or hole in (a tree) for the purpose of procuring the sap.
  • Synonyms
    * (to place inside a box) box up, case, embox, encase, pack, package, package up * (to hem in) corner
    Derived terms
    * abox * autoboxing * box about * boxed * boxer * box-haul, boxhaul * box-hauling * box in * boxing * Boxing Day * box off * box out * box the compass * box up
    Antonyms
    * (place inside a box) unbox, uncase, unpack

    Etymology 2

    (etyl), from (etyl), from (etyl) buxus, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (boxes)
  • Any of various evergreen shrubs or trees of the genus Buxus .
  • * '>citation
  • Boxwood: the wood from a box tree.
  • * 1884 , John R. Jackson, “Boxwood and its Substitutes”, reprinted in Journal of the Society of Arts , 1885 April 10, page 567:
  • Nevertheless, the application of woods other than box' for purposes for which that wood is now used would tend to lessen the demand for ' box , and thus might have an effect in lowering its price.
  • (slang) A musical instrument, especially/usually one made from boxwood.
  • * 1937 , , Their Eyes Were Watching God , Harper Perennial (2000), page 100:
  • “Evenin’, folks. Thought y’all might lak uh lil music this evenin’ so Ah brought long mah box .”
    Derived terms
    * box elder * box holly * box thorn
    Synonyms
    * (evergreen shrub or tree) boxwood
    Derived terms
    * bastard box * bonnet-box * box alder, box elder * boxberry * box-edged * boxen * boxer * box-gum * box-holly * box-room * box-slip * box-thorn, boxthorn * box-tree * boxwood * flowering box * grey box * prickly box * Queensland box * red box * Tasmanian box

    Etymology 3

    (etyl) (fist, pugilism)

    Noun

    (boxes)
  • A blow with the fist.
  • * Washington Irving
  • And then he whispered something to the girl which made her laugh, and give him a good-humored box on the ear.
    Synonyms
    * (blow with the fist) blow, punch

    Verb

    (es)
  • To strike with fists; to punch.
  • box someone's ears
    Leave this place before I box you!
  • To fight against (a person) in a boxing match.
  • To participate in boxing; to be a boxer.
  • Derived terms
    (derived terms) * BoxAerobics, boxaerobics * box clever * Boxer * boxer * boxercise * boxiana * boxing * box it out * box on * box-on * box oneself into a corner * out-box * shadow-box, shadowbox
    Descendants
    * German: * Portuguese:

    case

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) cas, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An actual event, situation, or fact.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= The attack of the MOOCs , passage=Since the launch early last year of […] two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations. University brands built in some cases over centuries have been forced to contemplate the possibility that information technology will rapidly make their existing business model obsolete.}}
  • A given condition or state.
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , III.10:
  • Ne wist he how to turne, nor to what place: / Was never wretched man in such a wofull cace .
  • A piece of work, specifically defined within a profession.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=We drove back to the office with some concern on my part at the prospect of so large a case . Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.}}
  • * {{quote-book, year=1927, author= F. E. Penny
  • , chapter=4, title= Pulling the Strings , passage=The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff. These properties were known to have belonged to a toddy drawer. He had disappeared.}}
  • (label) An instance or event as a topic of study.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April, author=John T. Jost
  • , volume=100, issue=2, page=162, magazine=(American Scientist) , title= Social Justice: Is It in Our Nature (and Our Future)? , passage=He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases , the fossil record.}}
  • (label) A legal proceeding, lawsuit.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1905, author=
  • , title= , chapter=2 citation , passage=“Two or three months more went by?; the public were eagerly awaiting the arrival of this semi-exotic claimant to an English peerage, and sensations, surpassing those of the Tichbourne case , were looked forward to with palpitating interest. […]”}}
  • (label) A specific inflection of a word depending on its function in the sentence.
  • *
  • Now, the Subject of either an indicative or a subjunctive Clause is always assigned Nominative'' case''', as we see from:
    (16) (a)   I know [that ''they''/*''them''/*''their'' leave for Hawaii tomorrow]
    (16) (b)   I demand [that ''they''/*''them''/*''their'' leave for Hawaii tomorrow]
    By contrast, the Subject of an infinitive Clause is assigned ''Objective'' '''case''', as we see from:
    (17)   I want [''them''/*''they''/*''their'' to leave for Hawaii tomorrow]
    And the Subject of a ''gerund'' Clause is assigned either ''Objective'' or ''Genitive'' '''case
    : cf.
    (18)   I don't like the idea of [''them''/''their''/*''they
    leaving for Hawaii tomorrow]
  • Grammatical cases and their meanings taken either as a topic in general or within a specific language.
  • (label) An instance of a specific condition or set of symptoms.
  • A section of code representing one of the actions of a conditional switch.
  • * 2004 , Rick Miller, C++ for Artists
  • Place a break statement at the end of every case to prevent case fall-through.
  • * 2011 , Stephen Prata, C++ Primer Plus (page 275)
  • Execution does not automatically stop at the next case .
    Synonyms
    * *
    Derived terms
    * be the case * case study * court case * hard case * in case * just in case * Case
    Hyponyms
    * See also

    Verb

    (cas)
  • (obsolete) To propose hypothetical cases.
  • * L'Estrange
  • Casing upon the matter.

    See also

    *

    Etymology 2

    From Middle English cas, from .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A box that contains or can contain a number of identical items of manufacture.
  • A box, sheath, or covering generally.
  • a case''' for spectacles; the '''case of a watch
  • A piece of luggage that can be used to transport an apparatus such as a sewing machine.
  • An enclosing frame or casing.
  • a door case'''; a window '''case
  • A suitcase.
  • A piece of furniture, constructed partially of transparent glass or plastic, within which items can be displayed.
  • The outer covering or framework of a piece of apparatus such as a computer.
  • (printing, historical) A shallow tray divided into compartments or "boxes" for holding type, traditionally arranged in sets of two, the "upper case" (containing capitals, small capitals, accented) and "lower case" (small letters, figures, punctuation marks, quadrats, and spaces).
  • (typography, by extension) The nature of a piece of alphabetic type, whether a “capital” (upper case) or “small” (lower case) letter.
  • (poker slang) Four of a kind.
  • (US) A unit of liquid measure used to measure sales in the beverage industry, equivalent to 192 fluid ounces.
  • (mining) A small fissure which admits water into the workings.
  • (Knight)
    Derived terms
    * * briefcase * camel case * (noun) * case harden * letter case * lower case * packing case * sentence case * title case * upper case
    References
    * Weisenberg, Michael (2000) The Official Dictionary of Poker. MGI/Mike Caro University. ISBN 978-1880069523

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (poker slang) The last remaining card of a particular rank.
  • He drew the case eight!
    References
    * Weisenberg, Michael (2000) The Official Dictionary of Poker. MGI/Mike Caro University. ISBN 978-1880069523

    Verb

    (cas)
  • To place (an item or items of manufacture) into a box, as in preparation for shipment.
  • To cover or protect with, or as if with, a case; to enclose.
  • * Prescott
  • The man who, cased in steel, had passed whole days and nights in the saddle.
  • (informal) To survey (a building or other location) surreptitiously, as in preparation for a robbery.
  • * 1977 , (Michael Innes), The Gay Phoenix , ISBN 9780396074427, p. 116:
  • You are in the grounds of Brockholes Abbey, a house into which a great deal of valuable property has just been moved. And your job is to case the joint for a break in.
  • * 2014 , (Amy Goodman), From COINTELPRO to Snowden, the FBI Burglars Speak Out After 43 Years of Silence (Part 2) , Democracy Now!, January 8, 2014, 0:49 to 0:57:
  • Bonnie worked as a daycare director. She helped case the FBI office by posing as a college student interested in becoming an FBI agent.

    Statistics

    *