shoebox

noun

shoe·​box ˈshü-ˌbäks How to pronounce shoebox (audio)
variants or less commonly shoe box
1
: a box that shoes are sold in
a shoebox full of old photographs
2
: a small space and especially a small living space
The loft, almost an hour from her house by tube, is a shoebox with 18-foot ceilings, white and blue, with odds and ends of mismatched furniture …Michael Kimmelman
often used before another noun
a shoebox apartment
Since commercial real estate was cheaper, art galleries and Off Off Off Broadway theaters could spring up in shoebox storefronts.James Wolcott

Examples of shoebox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Shoppers are invited to pick up a pair of shoes, which come packaged in a shoebox alongside some headphones & listening device. Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024 Fortunately, the shoeboxes had been packed and moved out just in time. Jasmine Baehr, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024 Shoebox Slide Can be played: Indoors or outdoors Supplies: Two shoeboxes for each team Instructions: Divide the children into teams. Catherine Holecko, Parents, 30 July 2024 Tape a small piece of paper inside the shoebox on the other end. Austin American-Statesman, 8 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shoebox 

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shoebox was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near shoebox

Cite this Entry

“Shoebox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoebox. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!