European box
- noun
- UK
:
boj europeo
- The formal garden was lined with neatly trimmed European box to create elegant borders.
Examples
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The landscaper recommended European box because it responds well to shaping and clipping.
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She planted European box along the pathway for year-round greenery.
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The European box thrives in well-drained soil.
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I planted a European box in my garden.
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The formal garden was lined with neatly trimmed European box to create elegant borders.
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She planted European box along the pathway for year-round greenery.
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The landscaper recommended European box because it responds well to shaping and clipping.
Synonyms
33
7.3
A small evergreen shrub with thick leaves often used for hedges
3
6.2
An evergreen shrub or small tree with small glossy leaves often grown as a hedge
A small evergreen bush with dense leaves often used for hedges and garden shapes
An evergreen shrub or small tree gardeners use for hedges and neat garden shapes
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'European' (of Europe) modifies 'box' (the shrub Buxus), so the meaning — a box shrub from/associated with Europe — is directly derivable from the constituents. This follows a common cross-linguistic pattern of noun phrases, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent senses will understand the MWE.
Etymology
European box gets its name from the old use of box wood to make small wooden boxes and tools, and from the plant's hard wood and evergreen leaves. Because the shrub grows slowly and has thick, neat leaves that gardeners can cut into shapes, people use it for 'hedges' and 'borders', so European box now means the slow-growing evergreen used for shaping and edging gardens.