shoebox

Everyday

1. A shoebox is the cardboard box that new shoes come in. tree →
2. A shoebox is also used to store small things, or to make crafts and school projects. tree →
3. Informally, a «shoebox» can mean a very small room or flat. tree →

In the lessons

At school, children make shoebox dioramas (small scenes inside a box) for science or reading projects; at home a shoebox stores photos, toys or cards. Also used for collecting gifts, like a shoebox gift appeal.

Examples

• My new trainers came in a big shoebox. tree →
• We made a shoebox diorama of a rainforest. tree →
• Grandma keeps old photos in a shoebox. tree →
• The kitten fell asleep in a shoebox. tree →
• I cut a hole in the shoebox to make a puppet theatre. tree →
• Put your marbles back in the shoebox. tree →
• Their flat is tiny, like a shoebox. tree →

Note

Countable noun, usually one word: «a shoebox, shoeboxes» (plural adds -es after x). Can also be written «shoe box». In maths, a shoebox is a cuboid (a rectangular box), good for practising volume = length × width × height.