Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
outlet box

outlet box

4.4
A metal box that holds wires for electric sockets or switches
  • noun
  • /ˈaʊtˌlɛt bɑks/
  • Specialized
translation icon : caja de salida
  • Before working with electricity, make sure to turn off the power to the outlet box.

Examples

  • He checked the connections inside the outlet box to ensure they were secure and safe.

  • She puts the blender on the table by the window, near the single electrical outlet in the kitchen, but as she plugs it in, she sees the red light on the outlet box is dark.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • The electrician installed an outlet box to organize the wiring for the new light switch.

Surface Forms

outlet box singular
outlet boxes plural

Morphology

outlet + box

The meaning 'a box containing wiring for electrical outlets' is directly and transparently composed from 'outlet' (receptacle) + 'box' (container); a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is an enclosure associated with an outlet. This is a regular noun + noun compound pattern common in English and cross-linguistically, making the expression immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

Outlet box: The name outlet box comes from the simple image of a box placed where an outlet comes out of a wall. The box holds the wires and the socket to keep them safe, so today an outlet box means a metal box that holds the wiring for outlets, switches, or lights.