Bot. Also 4–7 boxe. [OE. box, ad. L. bux-us box-tree, Gr. πύξος.]

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  1.  A genus (Buxus) of small evergreen trees or shrubs of the N.O. Euphorbiaceæ; specially B. sempervirens, the Common or Evergreen Box-tree, a native of Europe and Asia; a shrub with deep-green leaves of a thick leathery texture. It is much used in ornamental gardening, esp. in a dwarfed variety (Dwarf or Ground Box) for the edgings of flower-beds.

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931.  Chart. Æðelstan, in Cod. Dipl., V. 195. Of ðere ʓemearcodan æfsan to ðon readan slo … of ðam treowe to ðere wican æt ðam boxe.

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c. 1000.  Ælfric, Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 139. Buxus, box.

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1382.  Wyclif, Isa. lx. 13. The fyrr tree, and box, and pyne tree togidere.

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c. 1420.  Anturs of Arth., vi. Vndur a lefe tale Of box and of barbere byggyt.

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1551.  Turner, Herbal, G vj a. The wood of boxe is yelowe and pale.

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1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, VI. xxxii. 699. The smal Boxe is called of some in Latine, Humi Buxus: that is to say, Ground Boxe, or Dwarffe Boxe.

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1713.  Guardian, No. 173 (1756), II. 360. There ships of myrtle sail in seas of box.

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1830.  Tennyson, A Spirit haunts. Fading edges of box beneath.

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1836.  Penny Cycl., VI. 75/2. The Majorca box … is a handsomer plant … with broader leaves, and a more rapid growth.

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  2.  The wood of the box-tree, BOX-WOOD; much used by turners and wood-engravers. Also fig.

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c. 1385.  Chaucer, L. G. W., 867. Pale as box sche was.

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1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. xix. Also of boxe beþ boxes made to kepe in muske and oþer spicerye.

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1553.  Eden, Treat. New Ind. (Arb.), 16. Rhinoceros … of the coloure of boxe.

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1635.  J. Babington, Pyrotechn., 1. You must get of the best drie Box you can finde.

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1677.  Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 347. Made on Box or Brass of most Mathematical Instrument Makers.

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1852.  McCulloch, Dict. Comm., 189. Box is a very valuable wood. It is of a yellowish colour close-grained, very hard, and heavy.

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  3.  Comb. and Attrib.

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  a.  attrib. Of box or box-wood; pale as box.

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1382.  Wyclif, Isa. xxx. 8. Wryt to it vp on a box table.

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1598.  E. Gilpin, Skial. (1878), 43. Their box complexions … Their iaundice looks.

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1677.  Lond. Gaz., No. 1245/4. One Box Comb. One Pocket Handkerchief.

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1693.  W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 276. Boxteeth, teeth as yellow as box.

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1714.  Fr. Bk. of Rates, 359. The Trade of Ivory-Combs, and also Horn-Combs, and Box-Combs.

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1884.  W. B. Wollam, in Cassell’s Fam. Mag., March, 141/2. Anything, too, in the way of box edging … should be at once pushed on and completed.

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  b.  Comb., as box-bordered, box-like adj.; boxberry, the fruit (and plant) of the winter-green of America (Gaultheria procumbens); box-elder, -alder, a North American tree, the Ash-leaved Maple (Acer negundo); box-holly, a name of Butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus); box-slip, a slip of box inlaid in the beechwood of some carpenters’ planes in order to give durability to the edge; box-thorn, common name for shrubs of the genus Lycium, esp. L. barbarum. Also BOX-TREE, BOX-WOOD.

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1851.  S. Judd, Margaret, II. i. 162. The path was strewn with old claret *boxberries.

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1884.  H. E. Scudder, in Harper’s Mag., Oct., 661/2. Roses bloom in a *box-bordered plat.

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1866.  Treas. Bot., 781/1. The *Box Elder … is sometimes introduced into English shrubberies.

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1661.  Lovell, Hist. Anim. & Min., 79. They [Rhinoceroses] have … a *Boxe-like colour.

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1678.  W. Salmon, Pharm. Lond., I. iv. 74. Lycium, Pyxacantha, Buxea spina … *Boxthorn.

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1846.  Mrs. Loudon, Ladies’ Comp. Flower-Gard., 130. Lycium, Solanaceæ, Boxthorn.

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  c.  Applied with distinguishing epithet to several other plants, as Bastard Box, Polygala chamæbuxus; Flowering Box, Vaccinium Vilis-Idæa, having leaves like those of the box; Grey Box, Eucalyptus dealbata of S. Australia; † Prickly Box, the Box-thorn (Lycium), also the Butcher’s Broom, Ruscus aculeatus (Lyte); Queensland Box, Lophostemon macrophyllus; Red Box (of New South Wales), L. australis; Spurious Box, Eucalyptus leucoxylon, of S. Australia; Tasmanian Box, Bursaria spinosa.

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1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, VI. xiii. 674. Butchers broome … is called … in base Almaigne, Stekende palme, that is to say, Prickley Boxe. Ibid., xxxiii. 699. Prickley Boxe is a tree not much vnlyke to the other Boxe.

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