English → Latin
“box” in Latin
arcachest, box, coffer, safe (safe place for storing items, or anything of a similar shape); coffin (box for the dead); ark cistaa trunk, a chest, a casketcapsaA box, case, holder, repository; especially a cylindrical container for books; bookcase.armāriuma cupboard, closet, chest, especially one in the sacristy of a church where vestments are kept; a safe for food, clothinscrīniumcase or chest for books or papers; portfolio, briefcase; desk (for writing)pyxisa small box; for holding medicines or toiletriesarculaa small chest, box, casket or coffer; small perfume box or jewel casket; a windchest of an organcistulaa basket; diminutive of cista: a small chestcistellŭlaa little boxnarthēciumointment box, medicine chest
The English word box itself goes back to Latin pyxis, through buxis.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
box
arca (with a lock, low, and placed on the ground): cista and (still smaller) capsa (both portable, for valuables, books, fruit, etc.): armarium (for things in constant use, books, clothes, etc.: it was higher than an area, had divisions, and was sometimes placed against a wall): scrinium (with divisions, or pigeon-holes, for letters, medicines, valuables): pyxis (for drugs, etc., PROP. of box-wood, also of any wood, and even of metal): arcula, capsula, capsella, cistula, cistellula. An ointment box, narthecium. A lot box, situla. Ballot box, cista, cistula. Dice box, phimus, fritillus, orca. A strong box, arca. Box to keep ornaments in, arcula ornamentorum, pyxis: for rings, dactyliotheca. A clothes box, armarium. A box in a shop, nidus. A box in a chest, loculus. A box for plants, vas. A medicine box, narthecium.
A Christmas box (present), strena.
In a theatre, spectaculum altum. (Vid: Liv.., i., 35.)
box v.
concludere, includere, in arca, cista; sepire, obsepire.
box
a blow, alapa (in the face with the open hand) colaphus (with the fist). To give one a box on the ear, alicui colaphum ducere, impingere, infringere; palma aliquem percutere. To box one’s ears soundly, aliquem percutere colaphis.
box v.
fight with the fists, pugnis certare. A boxing match, pugillatio, pugillatus. A boxer, qui pugnis certat, pugil.
box
a tree, buxus. Box-wood, buxum. Made of box-wood, buxeus. A flute of box-wood, tibia buxea, or simply buxus, buxum. Full of box., buxosus. A plate planted with box, buxetum.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for box?
- The usual Latin words for “box” are arca, cista, capsa; also armārium, scrīnium, pyxis. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.